The Trials of Link
by richawe5
Summary: Link continues his search for Navi after his adventures in Hyrule and Termina. He feels his quest is a simple one, but he is not aware of the dangers ahead of him. Little does he know that the end of his journey could very well mean the end of all Hyrule.
1. Chapter 1

Here is the first fan-fiction that I've ever written. I hope you enjoy. It takes place only months after "Ocarina of Time" and "Majora's Mask" and centers around (as the title implies) Link. I would rate it somewhere between K+ and T. There are sixteen chapters so far, but it isn't finished. I am estimating that there will be another ten chapters. I update fairly regularly so you won't have to wait long for new chapters. Since chapter two is already finished, I'll post it as soon as I get a reaction to this first chapter. Thanks for reading and again, I hope you enjoy!

**Chapter One: The Counsel of a Stranger**

In the Forest of Gormoth, a twig cracked under the hoof of an unadorned horse. Its rider stirred from his brief fit of drowsiness. He peered about through the impenetrable haze that clouded the world beneath the boughs of the trees, hoping to spot a sheltered space for the night. After a brief search he found a hollow log large enough to accommodate both him and his steed Epona. As he dismounted from his only company and glanced into this place of refuge he was shocked to see an elderly man curled up inside.

The stranger had piled up a number of dried leaves for a bed and was using another heap of decomposing foliage as a makeshift pillow. After only a moment the man opened his eyes as if sensing he was being watched. "Hello my fine young lad," he croaked without the slightest trace of fatigue in his voice. "May I ask your name?"

"My name is Link. And yours?" questioned Link suspiciously; he was not sure if he should trust the elderly man or not (he had after all seen his fair share of camouflaged enemies during his travels).

"Link. What a fine name for such a fine young lad. Why don't you sit down here alongside of me Link? There is enough space for two after all."

Link hesitated but decided there was no harm that could come of it. After all, he did have his trusted gilded sword by his side. So, without any further delay, Link strode into the log and sat across from the stranger.

"May I ask what a fine young lad such as yourself is doing in the Forest of Gormoth, especially during such dangerous times?"

Link could not help but chuckle to himself. He had been called a fine young lad more times in the past two minutes than his entire life before then. "I am searching for a long lost friend of mine. I have traveled many miles in search of her and have heard that she may be inhabiting these woods."

"Ah, I see. Well, as long as you understand the dangers of these woods I see no harm in your wandering around."

"Trust me; I understand danger."

"I am sure that a fine young lad as yourself would. However, the Forest of Gormoth is unique in its dangers. But pay no attention to me; I am no more than a crazy old man. Besides, you will soon see for yourself."

"May I ask sir, what is your name?"

"My name is not important. As I said before, I am no more than a crazy old man."

Link, not appreciating the fact that the man would not share his name, decided that it was time to depart. "I'm afraid that I must continue on my journey now. I have very far to travel."

"I understand. But one more time I must say, beware. This forest holds more than meets the eye."

"Thank you," replied Link as he walked back out of the log, mounted Epona, and continued on his way eastward. In his hurry to leave Link did not notice the stranger exit his shelter and take a more roundabout route to the east.

Link had been traveling for fifteen minutes when he found another suitable place to sleep through the night. It stood on the shores of a small pond and was sheltered by mighty oak trees. Link descended from Epona and led her to the water for her to get to get a drink; the dead leaves that littered the ground crackled under their feet and hooves. After Epona had had her fill Link lay down in the crook between two massive roots of the largest tree in the vicinity. It was immediately when he fell asleep that the advice of the stranger proved to be worthwhile.

He heard a sharp growl and opened his eyes instinctively. Even through the pitch-black darkness that cloaked the forest at night Link could clearly see his approaching enemy. It glowed as if it had swallowed a million fireflies. At first glance it appeared to be no more than a large spider, which would not have been an issue for Link (he had had a great deal of practice with the Skulltalas of Hyrule and Termina in the past), but upon further inspection it was clear that it was no spider. It had a swollen, pulsing body that resembled a crystal ball as it glowed in the night. Three disjointed arms emerged from its abdomen, each coated with thousands of spikes that dripped an acidic poison that burned holes in the roots on the ground when it struck them. The monstrosity's head was a jagged cube with two curved horns rising from the top and a gaping hole of a mouth. From this hole emerged a tongue more disgusting than the most vile snake Link had ever seen.

The tongue crawled its way along the ground toward Link and, upon reaching him, felt its way up his leg. Link, still shocked by the utter grotesqueness of the beast, did not respond. Once the tongue passed over his chest it moved to the sounds of his steady heartbeat. It jerked back and was pulled back into the creature's mouth. With a piercing shriek the mysterious foe charged Link. Link unsheathed his prized blade and displayed it in front of him; if nothing else, he was always ready for a battle.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two: The Wrath of the Moligange

The fearsome adversary stretched out with its three limbs and wrapped them around Link immediately before his blade could strike it. Its razor-like talons began to work at Link's face, attempting to blind his eyes and end the fight before it could truly begin. However, Link still had his beloved sword. While using one of his hands to hold back the beast's three resilient paws Link thrust his blade into the creature's abdomen. His victory would not come that easily though. The blade did little more than nick the monster's underside.

Seeing that the armor around its body was too formidable for his blade to defeat Link swung his blade up in an arc and sent it crashing down on the monster's arm. The monster let out a squeal similar to the one it employed previously, only this time it was clear that the cry signified pain. Its appendage, severed from its scaly body, fell into a small nook in the roots of the tree that Link had slept under with a dull thud. With one of its arms now hewn off the creature released Link without hesitation. It backed up a few paces and sat down upon its haunches.

Link was not going to give his foe the opportunity to gather itself for another strike though. He rushed his opponent with his sword over his head. Just as he was about to bring his weapon down crashing between the cowering beast's eyes a shrill whistle blew from the shrubbery to his left. However, this is not what put an end to Link's attack. An arrow burying itself in his left hand was what caused this. Link shouted out in pain and accidentally released his sword. It dropped and bounced innocently off his enemy's head. The hideous animal was about to go in for the kill when a group of men clad in dark brown and green tunics appeared out of the undergrowth where the whistles and the arrow had come from; one was wielding a bow.

"How dare you attack one of our stock!" yelled one of the men at Link. The creature bounded over to the man with a deformed smile on its foul face as if it was nothing more than a lovable cocker spaniel, instead of a vicious monster.

"It attacked me!" countered Link. As he bent down to pick up his weapon another one of the men hurried forward and grabbed it. Since he was unarmed and outnumbered ten to one Link could not stop this. The man sneered at him and returned to the group.

The apparent leader of their company and owner of the beast Link had been battling said, "I am afraid we will have to take you to our fortress. You have entered our realm without invitation. Believe me when I say that that arrow in your hand will be the least of your worries by the end of today. If you're lucky, I may just put you in the same room as my loyal companion, the Moligange." He indicated the creature that was now squatting by his side while licking the nub that was its former arm. Link was surprised to see that as the animal continued to lick the bloody stump of its former appendage with its gruesome tongue the arm began to grow back. He did not have long to study this though. One of the men was leading Epona off into the trees and three more of the men were upon Link in an instant, dragging him off to their fortress, where unimaginable hardships would await him.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three: The Gateway to Darkness

Link was forced to walk the twelve miles to the men's fortress, all the while his hand pulsing from the arrow that was still submerged in its flesh. He had contemplated removing the arrow himself but decided that it served as a good stopper to the blood welling up in his hand; the last thing he needed would be to bleed to death. Toward the end of the journey Link found himself losing his footing several times while growing continually weaker from his wound.

Just when he thought that he could not walk another step he was led through a thick wall of trees and bushes. On the other side was a series of huts built around a small hill. Link could not see anything that even closely resembled a fortress. The largest building in the village was no larger than his own home in the Kokiri Forest. However, as his captors led him into the tiny town Link saw where they were directing him. On the near side of the hill was an intimidating gate shrouded in darkness. 

As Link was approaching this entry to the unknown, he gazed about the village. He was surprised to see that there was not a single woman, child, or old man. Everyone present was a man in either their twenties or thirties. Link did not have long to ponder this mystery though. In another moment he was deposited before the gateway. The leader of the men snapped his fingers; the wrought iron bars of the gate rattled and began to creak upward from the ground. Ten seconds later the gate disappeared into a slot in the ceiling of the entryway. The foulest stench Link had ever come across rushed out of the passageway when the gateway opened. It smelled like a combination of cow dung, rotting corpses, and the reek of a monstrous beast waiting for an opportune meal.

The men tried to shove Link into the darkness of the tunnel that had been behind the gate, but he protested. "Wait! What is in there?"

"You'll see soon enough," answered the chief man. Link looked at the man for a few seconds; however, his gaze was directed when he heard a deep growl issue from the mouth of the man's pet, the Moligange. He looked down at the creature and saw it staring at him hungrily. When the man spoke again, Link focused his eyes back on him. "There are many challenges that await you in there. If you come out of the other side alive then you are one lucky kid. We will be waiting for you at the exit. If you do survive our test then we might be able to talk a little. So get in there already," he ordered.

"Will you hand me my blade?" asked Link. The men began to guffaw uproariously.

"Hand him his blade, did you hear that?" chuckled one of the men.

"Silence!" interrupted their leader. "The answer is no. You will go in unarmed. Now go!" 

"What about my hand? It is still damaged. Will you at least treat it before you send me in?"

"No! You must go in as you are now. We cannot help you. Now go!"

"And what about Epona?"

"Don't worry. We'll take care of her," laughed the man.

Link had to force his fury into the back of his mind. It would not do him or Epona any good if he went and got himself killed by foolishly trying to attack ten armed men at once when he did not even have a blade. So Link decided that he must do as he was told, at least for now.

As he turned to enter the mysterious tunnel the man had one final statement. "And remember, we'll be watching you."

Link hesitated for only a moment, but he soon realized that he had no choice. It was time to rely on his courage and face whatever trials may await him inside this passage. Without another moment's delay Link stepped into the blackness that cloaked the opening only two feet from its beginning. Another step and Link could see nothing, not even his own hand when he held it before his face. When he looked back the entrance only two feet away was not even visible; it was as if he had stepped behind a magical veil that hid this tunnel from the outside world. After establishing that he could not see anything at all Link decided that it was time to get the test over with. So he continued to walk into the darkness before him, blind to the dangers that awaited him.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Four: The Perilous Labyrinth

Link was only a hundred feet into the tunnel when he saw the first light since he had entered the underground. It was only one barely lit torch, but to Link's eyes, which were now accustomed to the overwhelming darkness of the passageway, it was as blinding as staring directly into the sun on a summer day. As he approached the torch the first sign of the hazards that lay ahead occurred. The walls, floor, and unseen ceiling began to shake violently. Link tried to steady himself but was unsuccessful. His legs jolted out from beneath him and he fell to the ground. This seeming misfortune proved to be lucky for Link though. Immediately as he hit the ground an arrow darted from the shadows fifty feet in front of him, narrowly missing where his abdomen had been before he tumbled. The arrow was so close that Link could actually feel the green hat atop his head stir as the arrow brushed it.

Link did not breathe a sigh of relief however. He knew he was lucky, but he also knew that another arrow would certainly be coming. Therefore, he stood up and charged the unseen enemy. As he passed the torch the area became dark once more. By the time he reached his concealed adversary it was as if he was blind again. Without knowing how far away his foe was Link was surprised when he bumped into an invisible entity only seconds later. There was a loud grunt as Link knocked over what seemed to be his enemy. Link felt another arrow whisk past his head as he dropped to the ground with his opponent.

Link began to feel around with his uninjured hand, trying to find the bow so he could prevent himself from getting shot with it. He locked onto his enemy's wrist and was disgusted to find it covered in squishy bumps and hair. He bent the wrist back until his adversary cried out. The thud of something falling to the ground resounded in Link's ears. He released his foe's now broken wrist and felt along the ground. He brushed a curved piece of wood that he knew to be a bow. An arrow that had apparently already been nocked and ready to fire was next to it. He picked them up and stood. 

Now that Link's eyes were beginning to adjust to the darkness he was able to see his enemy lying on the ground, quivering in pain. His foe was apparently human, but he was scarred with thousands of blood-red bumps, many of them bursting forth with pus even as he looked at them. However, Link did not take pity. He readied the bow and fired the arrow he had found into the man's jugular. There was a short gasp and then silence. Link rolled the man over and took his quiver, along with the arrows in it. Now that he was armed, Link felt a little safer.

He resolved to continue on in the hope of hurrying out of this loathsome pit. So he ran forward up the tunnel. After thirty seconds the tunnel ended at an intersection. To the left was a path that climbed upwards steeply; that direction seemed significantly more well lit than the path to the right. In that direction a set of stairs marched down until they disappeared into an impenetrable gloom. Link decided that his best bet was the left path. The path might actually keep climbing until it came out of the hill above, he reasoned.

Therefore, Link turned onto that route and began to sprint up the steep passageway. Unfortunately, because of his quick pace, Link became tired fast. That was why when he came to the top of the climb he could barely even breathe. He needed a break so he sat underneath a nearby torch, which was sitting inside of its own bracket. After five minutes he had caught his breath again and was ready to move on. The farther he walked the more paths there were branching away from the one he had chosen. He ignored them and continued along the same one he had selected before.

After five minutes this tunnel came to an end. Link had to backtrack and take a left at another path. This is when things began to become difficult. Link so frequently arrived at dead ends that within fifteen minutes he had lost all sense of direction. He was now wandering around aimlessly, like a rat inside a maze. Just when it seemed all hope was lost—the arrow wound in his left hand was now turning a sickly shade of green and he had not eaten for over a day, leaving him very tired and hungry—the walls began to rumble again. Link braced himself, hoping to avoid falling like he did the last time the walls had shook. However, it was pointless. When the floor began to quake too Link fell to the ground almost immediately. Unlike the last time though the tremors did not stop. They continued so long that the floor began to crack.

One crack especially made Link nervous. It started about fifteen feet up the passageway. As the shaking continued it raced up the middle of the tunnel, eventually passing directly beneath Link. Then a booming crack reverberated in the chamber. A moment later the stone floor beneath Link crumbled into oblivion. Link found himself falling for almost a hundred feet, surrounded by the jagged shards of stone that had once been the ground.

If it wasn't for the underground lake that Link fell into he would almost certainly have died upon impact. However, when he finally managed to pull himself out of the water it seemed that maybe it would have been better if he had. There seemed to be no escape from the gigantic cavern he was in. Impassable limestone walls stood fifty feet away all around him, and the hole in the ceiling that he had fallen through, which seemed to be no more than a tiny fracture from this far down, was unreachable. Moreover, that was the least of Link's worries. When he turned to look behind him he saw without a doubt the largest monster he had ever seen in all of his travels.

Its head almost touched the ceiling and it was so wide that it barely fit in the vast chamber that was its home. After seeing that the giant being had one eye and had the build of a man Link thought that it was no more than an extra-large Cyclops, which would not have been a problem considering that he had defeated three of them already while journeying between Ikana Canyon and the Forest of Gormoth. However, this was not a Cyclops. It was a Cyberscor. Upon its head was a crown of spikes. It wielded a barbed club at least thirty feet long. Neither of these were its most fearsome weapon though.

The Cyberscor let out an unanticipated high-pitched squeal. With this piercing sound an invisible force burst forth from the monster's mouth. The water in the lake was divided down the middle and thrown to the sides. Link dove out of the way as the invisible sound waves hit the ground on his side of the lake, digging a ten-foot deep and twenty-foot wide trough through the earth all the way up to the wall that bounded the chamber. The sound waves hit this wall and shattered its bottom into pieces. After the sound dissipated there was a hole in the wall almost thirty feet deep.

Link did not want to imagine what damage would have been done if he had let the unseen sound waves hit him. Although, if he did not make sure to be as quick on his feet as possible he might not have to imagine; he would feel it for himself. As the Cyberscor readied its most dangerous attack again Link prepared his bow for what was sure to be his most epic battle for quite some time.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter Five: The Wrath of the Cyberscor

Armed with only a bow Link had no idea how he was going to slay a monster a hundred times his size; however, he knew that he had to try. He aimed his bow and began moving it around. He hoped to find some patch of vulnerable flesh in the Cyberscor's impenetrable hide. He took too long to aim though. The Cyberscor soon let out another violent shriek, sending forth a destructive blast of sound again. Link ran around the shore of the lake to escape from the impending ruin. When the sound wave passed it had left another channel of broken earth parallel to the first one. 

Link lifted his bow above his head again and squinted his eyes while trying to find any spot on the Cyberscor that could be fragile. What he found was the Cyberscor's one and only eye. But could the arrow make it that far? It was over a hundred and fifty feet to the target. Link knew that he had to try though. So—as the Cyberscor prepared to scream once more—Link released his weapon. The arrow glided through the darkness of the cavern, quickly disappearing from sight. If it was not for the Cyberscor's squeals of pain that came seconds later Link would not have known if his arrow had hit its target.

The Cyberscor released its enormous club and began fumbling at its eye with its clumsy hands. As the Cyberscor continued to rub its eye Link could see a stream of blood squirting out of the middle of it. The blood was under such pressure that it spurted all the way across the lake, splattering into the dirt only ten feet away from where Link was standing. When the Cyberscor bent over and began to grope around for its dropped club, Link knew that he had successfully blinded it. Maybe now the battle would be a little more even-handed.

Unfortunately, with a club as large as the Cyberscor's it was not necessary to be able to see to hit an enemy. At thirty feet long the club was almost as long as the entire room. That is why when the Cyberscor began to swing its club horizontally at ground level Link knew that he was in trouble. With the first swing the weapon passed directly over Link's head. If he had not ducked he surely would have been decapitated. Nevertheless, his green hat became caught on one of the club's many spikes. This ripped the cap from atop Link's head and exposed his golden-blond hair. Link pushed his hair out of his face and tried to think of how he could kill the fearsome Cyberscor.

He decided that he could not stay where he was if he hoped to survive. He knew that the closer he was to the Cyberscor the higher the club would be above the ground and therefore the less likely it would be that it would strike him. So he immediately rushed the Cyberscor. He ran around the underground pool of water until he was directly before the Cyberscor's feet. Because of the damage to the Cyberscor's one and only eye it did not even realize how close its enemy was. The Cyberscor released another piercing scream, sending forth a devastating sound wave in the direction Link had been standing previously.

Link soon saw that because of the Cyberscor's immense size each of its hairs was large enough to be used as a little step. Therefore Link began to use the Cyberscor's hair on its legs like the rungs of a ladder. The monstrous Cyberscor felt something tickling its leg and tried to swat it. That was why when Link was twenty feet up the Cyberscor's leg he was forced to let go. He dropped down just as the giant being's hand crashed into its leg with a pounding thump.

Link fell five feet until he managed to catch hold of a giant wart on the Cyberscor's knee cap. Using the wart as a balancing point Link continued his climb up the gigantic beast. Ten feet above the knee cap sat the hem of the Cyberscor's shorts. Made out of patches of fur—possibly from livestock, thought Link with hatred—the fabric was easy to climb. The fur was so thick that Link could easily support himself in its knots and tassels.

Moments later came the greatest challenge of the climb. Above the shorts was the Cyberscor's waist, and it was devoid of any hair. Link balanced himself on the top of the half-foot thick shorts and came to the conclusion that his only hope was to try and jump up to the beast's belly button. That is why he leapt up into the air, his hands lifted toward the sky. He felt his right hand slip into the large pit that was the Cyberscor's belly button. As gravity began to take hold he hooked his hand inside of the hole and stopped himself from falling to his death.

The next step was to try and jump onto one of the Cyberscor's arms. Because the Cyberscor was still swinging its club back and forth in a futile attempt to kill Link—who it thought was still on the ground—its arms were continually underneath the belly button that Link was now using as a foothold. When the Cyberscor was in mid-swing Link leapt from the Cyberscor's belly button. He fell only a few feet before landing successfully in the tufts of hair that blanketed the Cyberscor's arms. Now Link had a clear path of hair to use as steps up to the monstrosity's shoulder.

A minute later and Link was standing atop the Cyberscor's shoulder, ninety feet above the ground below. Link was now nauseously dizzy after the constant movement of the Cyberscor's arms swinging to and fro. Link looked up to see if he would be able to reach the crack in the ceiling that he had fallen through previously. However, he was disappointed to see that even if he climbed all the way to the peak of the Cyberscor's head he would not be able to jump high enough to reach it. It seemed that at the moment all he could do was to slay the fiendish Cyberscor; he would worry about escaping afterwards. So he prepared his weapon with three arrows situated in a vertical line along the string of the bow. Without a moment's indecision he aimed his bow at the sensitive flesh behind the Cyberscor's chin. There was little reluctance as Link released his arrows.

The arrows flew upward and slipped effortlessly into the Cyberscor's fleshy tissue. Link could imagine the arrows as they tore through the creature's mouth, soft palate, and eventually into its brain. The Cyberscor let out only the tiniest of groans, not even the slightest indication that it had been dealt a mortal wound. It dropped its club for the second time and felt the flap of tissue that now hung freely at the top of its jugular with its hands. Its eyes became vacant as all indication of life left its body. Then the Cyberscor collapsed. 

Standing on his dead enemy's shoulder, Link knew that he would perish in the fall if he did not move. He moved to the base of his enemy's neck and leapt away from the Cyberscor's falling body. He caught the tips of its long hair at the base of its head. As the Cyberscor fell forward the angle of its body decreased so that Link was able to plant his feet on the monster's neck and use its hair to balance himself. He rode the Cyberscor's neck all the way down. When the lifeless monster hit ground Link was thrown into the air. He flew forward, sailed over the Cyberscor's head, and landed in the lake on the other side.

He swam to the shore of the lake and pulled himself out, dripping and cold. He peered about the room that the Cyberscor's body now filled almost entirely. Now all he had to do was figure out how to get out of the cavern. It did not take long for a solution to appear though. A cracking uproar similar to the one that had preceded his fall into the Cyberscor's chamber came to Link's long, pointy ears. Twenty feet away a large fracture tore its way up the wall. A ten foot tall section of the wall separated, revealing a tunnel of blinding light. Now accustomed to the darkness of the underground Link was forced to turn away from the brightness issuing from the hole in the wall. After his eyes were adjusted he turned them back to the opening. Emerging from the tunnel were six men; one of them was the captain of the men that had captured Link and sent him into the hazardous maze.

"I must say, good job," said the man. "You are the first person to ever survive our test. And to think that a boy would be the first only makes it more amazing. You are going to come with us now. There is much to talk about."


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter Six: A Taste of Truth

Link was led down the newly opened tunnel, which became brighter with every one of his tentative steps. Eventually, the path climbed what seemed to be an infinite flight of stone-hewn steps. At the top of this staircase lay the outside world. Link was guided out into the sunshine. When Link looked around, it became clear to him that they had emerged from the opposite side of the hill that he had entered seemingly forever ago. Link was taken away from the hill, through a cluster of huts, and into the trees that hemmed in the village around the hill.

Only a hundred feet into these trees and it was already impossible to see the village that lay behind. The trees were so thick that without the guidance of the men Link would surely have become entangled in its intertwined undergrowth. Their path switchbacked through the trees until it ultimately emerged into a clearing many times larger than the one that held the village. In the center of this clearing stood an awe-inspiring fortress. It stood almost five hundred feet tall, containing multiple levels of stone blocks that eventually culminated in a tremendous spire.

The spire was covered with solid gold plating, which gleamed in the afternoon sunshine. At the top was a yawning black hole that clearly held a small chamber within. One of Link's captors saw Link staring up at this window and said, "That's where we'll be takin' ya. You're going to meet the boss. Yes sir."

Link did not respond. He stared at the man with his piercingly deep sapphire eyes, shutting the man up instantaneously. Before the castle wound a bubbling moat. Instead of water filling its bottom there was a greenish acid that sizzled and occasionally erupted into the air, drenching the walls of the fortress and causing them to slowly erode. The chief of the men put his fingers to his mouth and emitted a shrill whistle. Moments later a drawbridge descended from its vertical stance on the far side of the moat. It gently dropped into place on the near side of the acid stream below. This allowed the men to push Link across the moat and into the fortress on the other side.

Once inside of the gigantic structure Link was surprised to see that the entry hall was no larger than a modestly sized hut. There was no furniture in the room and the walls were unornamented. However in the center of the room was a wooden platform with a chain rising up from each of its four corners. The four chains disappeared into a hole in the ceiling that was the same size as the platform.

"Get on," ordered one of the men. "We're going to haul you up to the boss's chamber. He'll be up shortly. Go on. Get!" The man shoved Link onto the platform. Link waited patiently as the men approached a massive lever that emerged from the wall nearby. They grabbed the lever in unison and began to turn it. As they spun it around the chains tightened and began to pull Link and the platform into the air. A few seconds later Link was inside of the hole in the ceiling. Inside there was not a single opening in the impenetrable stone walls except a speck of white light almost five hundred feet above that issued from a gap. For five minutes Link stood alone with only the clanking of the rising chains for company. The point of light grew continually larger until Link found himself disappearing into it.

Link blinked for a second to shield his eyes from the light. He looked around and saw that he was in a small chamber with a pointed ceiling. All that sat inside of the room was a bed, table, and two chairs. There was a door five feet away. Link approached it and tried to turn the knob. The sudden halting of the rotation of the handle told him that it was locked. Link looked behind and saw that the wooden elevator he had come up on was so flat with the floor that it almost seemed a part of it. On the other side of it was a window. Link hurried to the window and looked out. He saw that he was looking out of the window he had seen from the ground before entering the fortress. There would be no escaping this room. However, a moment later all thoughts of escape disappeared as the sound of a lock clicking free came to his ears. He turned to the door and noticed it creeping open.

"It's you?" questioned Link in disbelief as he saw the old man he had met in the forest entering.

"Yes," chuckled the old man as he slid into a chair with a groan.

"So this is your doing? I want my horse and sword now."

"Hush now. You are a fine young lad, but you are too quick to be hostile. Come here. Let me see your hand."

"What? My hand?" Link looked down at his hand and saw the arrow still sticking out of it from before. His skin had now turned a vivid shade of green. In the excitement of the past few hours he had completely forgotten about it.

"Come on now. I must say that I am quite gifted with healing." He chuckled again as Link warily advanced. "Ah," remarked the old man when he saw the wound. "This isn't a problem. Do not worry. I have a bottle of red potion here. I'm sure you know to what a great extent it can help." He handed the bottle to Link; it was full of a blood-red potion.

Link gulped it down quickly and then handed the empty bottle back to the man. "Thank you."

"Oh, you are welcome. Now, I will have to remove that arrow." Link turned away as the man grabbed the arrow. A moment later he could feel the tearing of his flesh as the arrow was ripped free. He bit his tongue to fight back the screams that desired nothing more than to be released from his mouth. "There you are. The potion will now be able to heal your hand fully. Now, maybe with that out of the way, we can talk."

"Yes. Let's talk. I want to know why this is happening. And if you don't tell me now and then give me my sword and steed then your punishment will come swiftly."

"Now, now. This is only a misunderstanding. If I had only known sooner what my men were doing to you I could have stopped it. In fact, if it wasn't for me there would have been even more tortures for you after the maze. I came upon my men minutes after they had sent you into the labyrinth. I told them to rescue you and that when they had found you I wanted you sent to me."

"They told me the maze was a test."

"It is to them. It was a test to see how long you could survive. However, with this test, the victim will always fail eventually. But I saved you. Believe me when I say that the maze was only the beginning."

"Well then, I thank you. Now, will you tell me who you are?"

"My name is Astralose. I run this village and fortress. It serves as a place for young men to gather and prepare themselves to be able to survive in the harsh world of today. I train them to use the many weapons that they will need to defend themselves outside of my land. Also, I teach them history and language so they can gain an understanding of their culture. Many of these men I found myself in the Forest of Gormoth. Many of them had lost their families when they were attacked my the numerous monsters that call the forest home. Here they are safe. Actually, I was hoping to recruit you into my family."

"And why didn't you?" asked Link, even though he knew that he would have denied the offer anyway.

It seemed that Astralose had to think of the answer for a moment, as if he was struggling to put it into words. "I suppose I just sensed that you did not need me. As awful as that maze is it did prove your strength in battle. A fine young lad, I believe it now even more than I did before."

"I have to ask, if you don't want your men to send people into the maze, then why did you build it?"

"Oh, I didn't build it. It was here long before I was. Along with the creatures that inhabit it. I actually forbid my men from opening the gateway into it. But that hasn't stopped them from sending nearly every person they've ever found in the woods into it."

"So now that this is all settled can I have my horse Epona back? And my sword too of course," Link added. Now that he had discovered that Astralose was not an enemy it did not seem nearly as important to have his blade by his side.

"I'm afraid not, at least not quite yet. There are still some things we must discuss."

"What?" questioned Link, instantly becoming distrustful again.

"I know what you seek in the Forest of Gormoth." Link did not reply. "The fairy Navi."

Link was immediately startled. "How do you know that?"

"I am sure you remember the wizard that you spoke to in the desert between the Forest of Gormoth and the land of Termina."

"Yes. How could I forget? He told me he knew where Navi was. Then he made me give him all of my items except my sword for the information. Because of him I no longer even have a shield."

"Well, he is an old friend of mine. And he told me of your plight during a visit I had with him not too long ago. It was when I was returning from this visit that I ran into you actually."

"Well, all he could tell me was the description of the area Navi was living in. Within an ancient temple without a roof that strides a wide river above a roaring waterfall. He could not even tell me the name of the old temple, or even the river or the waterfall. And unfortunately, since I am unfamiliar with this forest, I do not know where this place is."

"Tell me Link. Why is it that you wish to see Navi?" asked Astralose, changing the subject.

"Because, she was with me from the beginning. Through all of my battles she was there by my side. I feel naked without her. That is the best that I can explain it."

"Well then, it will please you that I know this area that you speak of."

"What!" exclaimed Link, unable to control his happiness.

"It lies no more than a day's journey south of here."

"Then I must leave immediately."

"You will, and I will come with you," said Astralose.

"Why?"

"You will never be able to find it on your own, so I will show you the way."

"So be it. When will we leave?"

"Immediately. I have already had my men prepare your steed. Your blade will be down there also. Is there anything else that you would like to say before we leave?"

"Only thank you." Astralose smiled. Then he opened the door for Link and followed him out as he left to find his most missed companion Navi before it was too late.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter Seven: The Journey to the Lost Temple

By the time Link and Astralose had descended from the tower the men below had already readied Epona and a horse for Astralose also. Once outside Link felt free for the first time since he had been attacked in the forest the night before. He rushed up to Epona and began to gently caress her ghostly mane with affection. "It's good to see you again Epona. Now we can ride together once more."

"Here is your sword," interrupted one of the men. He stepped up to Link with Link's gilded sword held before him. Link took it with a smile and gave his thanks. Now that his hand was healing and his most prized possessions were returned to him Link had already forgiven the men for what they had put him through. Link was not the type to bear long-lasting grudges.

"Are you ready to leave Link?" asked Astralose. Link nodded. Astralose mounted his jet black charger and Link followed suit by climbing onto Epona. With a sharp "ha!" and a couple kicks to the horse's side Astralose spurred his horse away from the fortress.

Link patted Epona gently on the head and then drove her forward. Seconds later they had covered the distance of the weed-choked clearing that surrounded Astralose's fortress and had entered the forest beyond. Once they passed into the intricate web of trees that filled the forest they were forced to slow down so that they would not become separated. Five minutes later a raging river crossed in front of them and then curved south. "This is the river that feeds the waterfall behind the temple."

"So we can follow it there?"

"Yes," replied Astralose. 

"Then I shouldn't need you to guide me any longer." 

"Well, not necessarily. It is not wise to travel through these woods alone. I will accompany you to the temple still, for both ours safety."

Link nodded and then goaded Epona onward. A couple of hours of following the winding watercourse elapsed and nightfall was imminent. "We must find shelter for the night," said Link.

"Yes. We must. I know of a secluded hollow near here. Follow me." The old man led Link into a compact band of trees that ran parallel to the river. Fifteen feet into this intertwined mass of roots, trunks, and branches the sky was no longer visible. The leaves and branches above formed as solid a ceiling as any building could have managed. Astralose dismounted his horse and bid Link to do the same. As the horses gnawed on the wiry grass that cloaked the ground Link and Astralose ate from the supply of berries and nuts that Astralose had packed onto his steed. This brief meal was followed by a night of uneasy sleep as the frequent noises of twigs being trampled and animal calls entered their temporary shelter.

They awoke early the next morning, but because of the thickness of the forest it was impossible to tell what time it was; the sun's rays could hardly pierce the impenetrable wall of trees that surrounded the small meadow. Link and Astralose guided their horses back to the river and allowed them to drink their fill. "It seems to be only moments after dawn," said Link when he saw the sun barely poking its head above the horizon behind them. 

"Good. Then we should be able to make it to the temple by this afternoon. But we must leave immediately."

"All right then. I think the horses are ready now." They mounted their steeds and prepared for an extensive journey. The hours ticked by without the slightest change in the scenery. The river still held its course southward and was still hemmed in on all sides by impassable vegetation. Gradually though, Link began to realize that the trees and undergrowth were thinning. It was now possible to see many hundreds of feet into the woods in either direction.

Two more hours of this steady reduction in plant life followed. Then, as suddenly as a switch turning from off to on, Link could hear the roar of a waterfall. "We're almost there," proclaimed Astralose. "Look." He pointed about a mile downstream. On both sides of the river where two collapsing stone structures. In between them a bridge crossed the waterway, serving as a connection between the two halves of the building. "That is the Lost Temple. Long ago, when the peoples of the Forest of Gormoth were still plentiful, the inhabitants of these woods would gather at this temple to worship the gods. It has long since been abandoned though. The waterfall lies on its far side."

"I hope that Navi is in there."

"I think that she will be. The temple has long been known as a gathering place for those without a home. That is one of the reasons why it is your destiny to go there."

Link looked at the man curiously, but he did not ask what Astralose was talking about. He was too excited with the anticipation of seeing Navi again. "I cannot wait any longer. Let's hurry." Astralose nodded in agreement and nudged his horse forward after Link. They approached the decrepit temple from its northern side. Though there was no entrance on this side of the temple the gradual weathering of its walls had produced many holes large enough to use to enter the chambers within. Unfortunately, none of them were large enough for the horses to enter. Therefore, Link and Astralose descended from their mounts and entered the largest one of the holes, hoping to find Navi and only Navi.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter Eight: The Reunion

Link was not surprised that the stone rooms within the temple had no ceilings. After all, the wizard that had first informed him of this place many months before had told him that the ceilings had broken away over the years, along with most of the walls. What did surprise him though was that the building was not evacuated. The old man was right; the temple was a gathering place for those without a home. Cowering in the corners of the first room in the structure were various children, their threadbare clothing caked with dirt.

Link smiled at these kids and tried to approach them. He was shocked when they growled and crawled away from him like animals. The Hero of Time's smile disappeared just as rapidly as it had came when one of the kids tried to bite his calf like a rabid dog. Link jumped back and shouted to Astralose, "Why are they attacking me!"

The old man replied, "These children are not civilized like you and I. They have grown up as animals do. To them you are a threat."

"Let's try the next room then," he suggested. He knew that it would be unfair for him to retaliate against the children. They did not know any better. Therefore, he left the room through a crumbling archway on its far side. The next chamber was even more surprising than the first. Inside were two Skull Kids. Neither of them were the one that had worn Majora's Mask in Termina. However, they looked so similar that they could have been relatives of his. "Where are you two from?" questioned Link cautiously.

One of the skull kids replied, ignoring the question, "You look friendly. Would you like to play?" Then he laughed.

Astralose shouted, alarming both the Skull Kids and Link, "He asked you a question! Now answer!"

The younger of the two scarecrow-like children responded, "We're from Hyrule. All we wanted to do was play. You don't have to be so harsh."

"Were you the two Skull Kids that had me play along with my ocarina in the Lost Woods?"

The Skull Kids stared at Link thoughtfully. Suddenly, recognition dawned upon their faces. "Yes!" they declared simultaneously. "We remember you. You were quite talented with that ocarina." They laughed again. 

"Do you remember the fairy that was with me?"

They looked at each other pensively and nodded. "Yes. We do."

"Have you seen her since then?"

"Yes. She is in this very temple."

"May I ask what you are doing here?" interrupted Astralose.

"All Skull Kids like to travel. Our brother even went as far as Termina. He's been there for quite some time too. When he left we decided that we should travel the world too. We eventually found this temple. For some reason we just haven't felt the urge to return home yet. How long have we been here brother? Two weeks?"

The other Skull Kid shook his head. "No. I believe it's been a couple of months at least."

"No. I have to disagree. It can't have been more than two weeks." 

"Well, thank you," said the old man loudly. "Come Link." Link followed Astralose out of the room, saying goodbye to the Skull Kids along the way.

"Why were you so harsh to the Skull Kids?" inquired Link when they were out of earshot of the room behind them.

"I had an unpleasant encounter with a group of Skull Kids when I was younger. I still bear a grudge against that race to this day."

"What kind of encounter?" 

"I'm sorry, but I don't like to talk about it." Seeing the suspicion on the hero's face, he continued, "Anyway, we have to hurry up and find your friend Navi. If we don't we will become trapped in this temple."

"What do you mean?" 

"It is a strange fact, but the longer one stays in this temple the harder it becomes to leave. The temple offers a home to all those that have none, but it comes at a price. That is why the Skull Kids could not even tell how long they had been here. They could have been here for years and it would still seem like only a couple of months to them."

"So what about Navi? If what you say is true, how will I get her to come with me?"

"It will be difficult, but I hope that the enchantment of this temple will have less of an effect on a fairy. But one way or another we will get your friend to come with us."

Link nodded and followed Astralose through the seemingly infinite dilapidated chambers that filled the temple. Eventually, they came to a chamber that opened up on the bridge that crossed the river to the other half of the edifice. Thirty seconds later and they were across the seething watercourse and in the room on the other side. This chamber was swathed in shadow, but from the corner there was a floating sphere of light. After staring for a moment the brightness began to come into focus. A pair of delicate wings appeared, fluttering up and down lightly.

"Navi!" cried Link.

The fairy turned towards the hero and then exclaimed in her characteristically piercing voice, "Link! What are you doing here!"

"I've been looking for you for months. That's what I'm doing here. I first traveled all the way to Termina because I had heard from the Kokiri that that was where you were heading. But you weren't there. Then, while traveling through the desert east of Termina, a wizard told me that you were in this temple."

"It sounds like you've had your share of adventures, but why would you be looking for me?"

"I missed you."

"Oh, you're so silly. Well, I definitely never thought I would see you again. And look at you, you're a mess," the radiant fairy nagged.

"Well, there weren't too many inns or taverns along the way," chuckled Link.

"Well, there's a fine river outside that you can bathe in. I suggest you wash up and then we can talk. Go on," she insisted when he did not move. Link shrugged and went outside. He knew it was useless to argue with the stubborn fairy. "And who are you?" asked Navi, directing her question at the old man, who had been standing quietly throughout the meeting.

"Ah, my name is Astralose. Link did not know where to find the Lost Temple so I agreed to help him."

"Hmm… Well, make yourself at home. I find that the corner over there is the warmest to sleep in," she said, flicking one of her wings at the northeastern corner of the room.

"Thank you for your suggestion. Ah, here he is." Link rushed back into the room, dripping with icy-cold water and shivering. He had not actually bathed; he had only jumped in the river very quickly so he could come back wet and keep Navi from nagging him.

"So how long have you been here Navi?" he asked.

"Hmm… That is a good question. I can't really say. Time has rather blended together here. I can definitely recall the first month, but after that point I do not know. Maybe two months total; I'm not sure."

"I hope you're ready to leave this temple."

"And why is that?"

"I want you to come back to Hyrule with me."

"Why?"

"You and Saria are the only two friends I've ever had. And since Saria is a Sage we hardly ever get to speak together let alone see each other. And since you left I've had no one for company. Through all of my adventures in Hyrule you were with me. I miss you. Please, will you come back now."

"I suppose. I wouldn't mind seeing the beautiful plains of Hyrule once again. Can we stay here just one more night though? I'm not quite ready to leave this place yet." 

"If that's what you want. We can leave tomorrow morning." 

"Yes. We will leave tomorrow morning, for Hyrule."


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter Nine: Escape from the Lost Temple

"So Navi. You never did tell me why you had to leave so soon," said Link as he curled up tiredly on the stone-hewn floor.

"I had done what I set out to do. I promised the Great Deku Tree that I would aid you in your quest. When that was done, there wasn't really any reason to stay. Besides, I had nearly seen enough of Hyrule to last me a lifetime. I was ready to travel elsewhere in the world. Honestly, I had hoped that I could find another young boy to help in his travels. But that hasn't happened. Instead, I've just been sitting in this room for weeks on end. And I don't know why. I really want to leave, but something is holding me back. Oh well," she sighed. "Now that you're here, I finally have a reason to leave. It is good to see you again Link. You seem so much older now, even though it's only been a few months since we last spoke. I think your adventures have allowed you to mature well past your age."

"I don't feel any different. I still love my adventures. To be honest though, it will be nice to finally settle down now that I've found you, at least for a little while."

"Well, I suggest you get some sleep. I want to leave early tomorrow and we can't have you falling asleep and falling off of Epona's back, can we?"

"No, that wouldn't be good," said Link with a grin. "Well then, goodnight."

"Goodnight Link." When he laid down to go to sleep, she drifted over to his side and settled in the nook beneath his arm. Meanwhile, Astralose—who had been standing quietly throughout their conversation—sat down, crossed his legs, and closed his eyes. He mumbled to himself quietly for a half an hour before ending his meditation. He looked at Link—who was now snoring lightly—and Navi—who was still cradled under the hero's arm—and smiled. "How precious," he muttered before leaning back against the wall and falling asleep.

The next morning Link awoke with a jump. He looked around and saw that the room was filled with blinding sunlight. Astralose had left the chamber and Navi was trembling by the exit in midair. He stood up and approached the fairy. "What's wrong?" he asked.

"I- I don't know. I was about to go outside with the old man and I started shaking uncontrollably. And for some reason I can't leave now."

"What do you mean you can't?"

"I don't know. Maybe I don't want to."

"But you just said last night that you wanted to."

"Well, that was last night!" she snapped.

"All right. So what are you saying? You don't want to come to Hyrule anymore?"

"No! Get away from me!" the fairy shrieked as she retreated to the corner of the room.

"But Navi, you have to come with me," pleaded Link, but she ignored him. At that moment Astralose came in, soaking wet from his morning bath in the river.

"Is something the matter?" he asked.

"It's Navi. She says she doesn't want to leave now."

"Oh no. It's the temple. It has happened already."

"What's happened?"

"I warned you of this, remember? The temple serves as a home for those without one, but once someone recognizes this place as their home it becomes more and more impossible for them to leave as time goes on."

"Are you saying that she won't leave?"

"Not willingly. I'm sorry."

"Well, she has to leave! I've traveled all this way to find her, and there is no way that I'm going to let some meaningless temple stop her from leaving."

"Don't call it meaningless! You fool!" cried Navi. "This temple has been everything to me. It has been there for me when no one else has."

"Navi, can you hear what you're saying? This is ridiculous. You have to leave now. I don't think this temple is a safe home."

"It's a safer home than Hyrule ever was!"

"Astralose, you have to help me. Will you help me convince her?"

"There is no way to convince her. Don't you see? This is the temple's doing. Unless you want to pick her up and force her to leave, then she will never leave."

"So be it. Come on Navi. We're getting out of here right now." Link hurried up to the fairy and tried to scoop her glowing body up in his hands. As soon as his hands had surrounded her, he felt something tiny pierce through his skin, drawing blood. "You bit me!"

Navi chuckled. "I'm warning you! I want to stay!"

"Astralose, please give me your cloak." The old man removed the threadbare garment from his back and tossed it to Link. Link shook it roughly and tossed it over his confused friend. She fell to the floor from the weight of the cloak and Link rolled it up in a ball around her. "Come on Astralose. We need to leave, now." Ignoring the audible protests from the imprisoned Navi, Link approached the nearest exit of the temple. When he reached the threshold of the entryway, he found his feet growing mysteriously heavy. Without warning, he came to a standstill. "What's wrong with me? I must leave this place." He tried to lift his feet, but they might as well have been cemented to the ground.

"I'm sorry Link, but it's the only way," said Astralose as he came up behind him.

"What are you sorry for?" Suddenly the old man pushed Link as hard as he could through the exit.

Link fell to the pine-needle covered ground and dropped the rolled up garment that had held Navi. She fluttered out of the confinement and said, "Thank you Link. I don't know what came over me. I feel so much better now though. Now I am ready to go to Hyrule. I'm sorry if I did anything rash."

"Well, you did bite me. Luckily your teeth are small though, so it's barely even bleeding," replied Link as he stood up and dusted himself off. 

"I bit you. I'm so sorry. I didn't even realize it. It was like I was in a trance."

"Don't worry. It's fine. I'm just glad you're all right now. Thank you for your help Astralose."

"I'm glad I could help," the old man responded as he walked out of the temple. "It has been an interesting journey Link, but I must return home now. My men must surely be missing my presence by now."

"Are you sure you don't want to come with us to Hyrule?"

"No. I can't. But I'm sure we'll meet again. You are after all a very fine young lad." Link smiled and Astralose continued. "If you continue to follow this river, it will eventually take you to Zora's Fountain. It is a long journey but the river will guide you well." 

"How do you know of Zora's Fountain? Have you been to Hyrule before?"

"Oh yes, I traveled far and wide in my younger days, much like you do now."

"Well Astralose. Thank you again for all your help."

"You are indeed welcome. Good day Link. And may we meet again."

Link nodded as Astralose turned and followed the river back upstream toward his village. Link turned to Navi and asked, "Are you ready?"

"Yes. I couldn't be more ready." However, Link noticed that she was still eyeing the Lost Temple hungrily.

"Come on then," he said hurriedly before she could have a chance to change her mind. Link turned eastward and began to follow the river with Navi fluttering alongside of him. They both looked forward to the day when they would finally return home to Hyrule.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter Ten: Lost in the Vast Midlands

Link and his fairy companion had been lost for three days. The river that Astralose had suggested they follow emptied into an immense lake on the edge of the Forest of Gormoth. It would not be able to lead them to Zora's Fountain. Navi had immediately become distrustful of Astralose's suggestion, but Link had thought otherwise. "Maybe it has been so long since he came this way that the landscape changed and the river's waters became trapped into that valley instead of being able to flow forward."

"Maybe," doubted Navi. Link proposed that they continue forward from the lake in the direction the river should have taken and Navi tentatively agreed. Three days later, they found themselves in the middle of the seemingly endless desert that lay between the Forest of Gormoth and the land of Hyrule. Link had filled his water skin up at the lake before they had left its sandy shores. He had noticed the last time he went to take a drink from his container that there was only enough water to last another day. He could only hope that they would reach Zora's Fountain not long after.

Suddenly, a wide canyon stretched out before his feet. There was no way to cross it; it was at least a quarter of a mile across. The ravine's sandstone cliffs stretched as far as his eyes could see east and west. "Well, now what do we do?" muttered Link.

"I think we should try and cross it."

"That's easy for you to say Navi. You can fly. There's no way that I'm going to be able to scale this canyon's walls. They have to be at least five hundred feet high. I'm not a Skullwalltulla. If I was, I would be able to just skitter right down it. No, we'll just have to go around it."

"All right," replied the fairy. Link could tell that he had offended her.

"Look. I'm sorry. I'm just a little tense right now. No food, almost no water, and we have no idea where we are. It's not a very good situation. I think the only bit of good news is that it's winter, so at least we don't have to worry about being cooked to death out here in the desert." Navi bobbed up and down in the air. Link knew that that was how she nodded. "All right then. Are you ready to go on?" She nodded again and Link began to follow the brink of the chasm westward. 

This stage of their journey continued for many miles and well into nightfall. The travelers finally decided they should rest for the night. It was starting to become so dark that they risked accidentally stepping over the gorge's edge and falling to their deaths. Without any food, there was no meal in their future, so they curled up on the stony ground and fell asleep with their stomachs grumbling audibly.

They woke up early the next morning, even hungrier than when they had fallen asleep. Link looked around tiredly, hoping to see some desert rat or anything he could eat scampering through the rocks. He had no such luck though. He stood up weakly and crept up to the edge of the canyon and look down its outlying precipices. He was surprised to see that it was now only around fifty feet deep. "Good news Navi. We may be able to cross this thing soon."

"Great," she replied with very little if not completely absent enthusiasm.

"Well, are we ready to go on?" Navi did not reply but Link knew that she was, so he started walking. They walked until noon without trading any more speech. Without warning Link heard a very familiar, high-pitched, "Hey!" It came from behind him. He knew where he was going and what he was doing and was not in the mood for Navi's annoying hints, so he decided to ignore her. After all, he had done it many times before during his adventures through Hyrule. Unfortunately, she was not about to let him ignore her this time. "Hey!"

"Just ignore her. Just ignore her," thought Link.

"Hey!" 

"It's just some stupid piece of worthless advice," he reasoned.

"Hey!"

"I'm not listening," he muttered.

"Hey!"

"All right, what!" shouted Link.

"Look!"

Link turned around and saw about fifty men approaching from the north. They were on horseback and were advancing very rapidly. Link laid his hand on the hilt of his sword, ready in case the strangers were coming to attack.

"Why didn't you listen to me?" asked Navi, clearly offended.

"Now's not the time for this Navi. Can we talk later?"

"Humph." 

The riders were now only a hundred feet away. Link's grip tightened around his sword as the men stopped their steeds only fifteen feet away. "What do you want?" questioned Link when they did not greet him. He stared on curiously as the horses parted and an old man walked up through the gap created between them. "Astralose! I am glad to see you. We were lost. The river you said to follow ended at a lake four days ago."

"Oh, how unfortunate," said the old man as he moved toward Link. When he was in front of the Hero of Time, he laid his hands upon his shoulders lovingly. He caressed Link's shoulders tenderly and smiled softly. Unexpectedly, he then pushed back with all his might. Not expecting this sudden attack, Link fell backward several feet onto the hard ground. He felt a large stone crash into his back squarely, knocking the wind out of him.

"As I had hoped by sending him through the desert, he has grown extraordinarily weak. Release the Moligange." The beast moved surprisingly fast for having such strangely configured limbs. Within seconds, the terrible foe that Link had fought in the Forest of Gormoth was upon him. Link tried to unsheathe his blade. However, he was terribly weak from his lack of food and he could not even lift his sword above his head before the Moligange was upon him. It pinned him down with two of its three arms and allowed its tongue to dangle only inches above his face, dripping sultry, sticky saliva upon his lips.

With its third arm, the creature grasped Link's weapon and threw it backwards so that it landed at Astralose's feet. The old man picked it up and handed it back to one of his men. "I want him unconscious, but remember, not dead. We'll need him alive." The man nodded and approached Link, who was still struggling to free himself. Navi buzzed at the attacker's face in her best attempt to protect her friend, but to no avail. The man grabbed a hold of her and pinned her under his arm. Then, with one swift kick to the side of his head, Link knew no more.


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter Eleven: A Significant Revelation

When Link first awoke, he saw nothing but blackness. It took him a moment to realize that he had not gone blind; it was merely a blindfold over his eyes. He tried to move his arms from behind his back to undo the blindfold but found that his wrists were bound with rope. With a flick of his ankles, he was able to determine that his feet were also. Apparently, someone had seen his struggling because he felt a pair of hands reach around his head to remove the blindfold. It fell off of his eyes effortlessly and Link was finally able to see his surroundings.

The first thing he saw was a tall, unshaven man standing beside him. He was the one who had removed the blindfold, but it quickly became clear that this was not an act of kindness. The man grinned maliciously and said, "How ya doin' boy? Ya hungry?" The man chuckled spitefully. Link obstinately chose not to respond. "What? Are ya too scared to talk? Don't worry. I ain't gonna hurt ya. No. I got orders from the boss. He wants you alive and able to walk." 

Link looked around the room carefully. The room's walls were made of stone-hewn blocks without any adornments. The chamber was entirely empty except for one rickety wooden chair in the corner of the room, where his captor had been sitting patiently only moments before. He heard the man mutter something but was too busy searching for an escape route to take any notice.

"Hey! Did ya hear me? I had an order to take you to the boss when you woke up. So let's go." He grabbed Link roughly by the wrist and jerked him to a standing position. Despite the sudden rush of blood to his head, Link was able to decide that as soon as the man led him out of the room, he would break free. Then he would find Navi and they would hurry to Hyrule. The man turned Link around so that he was facing a large oak door. He opened the door and pushed his captive through. Link was prepared to break free when he saw that he was now in a large mess hall, where at least twenty men were feasting at the nearest table. He knew that his escape would have to wait.

He was led across the mess hall as the diners smirked at him cruelly. "I hope you're ready boy!" shouted one of the men. Link had to force himself not to respond. He would not give these strangers the pleasure. He was led into a door on the far side of the dining hall and was shoved through it forcefully. Inside, Astralose was sitting behind a table with two of his henchmen on each side. One of these men was holding Navi, who was fluttering violently.

"Link!" she shouted. "You're all right! I was worried sick! I tried to tell you they were coming! Why didn't you just listen to me!"

Link chose to ignore her also, but this was for a different reason entirely. "Sit down!" grumbled the man who had led Link into Astralose's chamber. He was forced into a chair as the man turned around and left.

"Link," greeted Astralose with a smile. "How are you feeling?"

Link glared at him angrily.

"Why the fury my fine young lad? I don't wish to hurt you. I just need your help." When Link did not reply, the old man continued. "Come now. Speak. Your silence will not help you." In response, Link closed his mouth as noticeably as he could. "You leave me no choice. Kill the fairy." The man who was holding Navi stood up, pinned her against the wall, and drew his knife. He swung the knife down as hard as he could towards Navi's glowing body.

"No you fool!" shrieked Astralose. He kicked the man in the leg, causing him to lose his balance and barely miss Navi with his attack. "You know the plan! She can't be harmed!"

"But you said…"

"I was trying to scare the boy into speaking! I didn't mean actually kill her you fool!"

"I'm sorry sir."

"Get out! Get out! Get out! And give me that confounded fairy!" The man handed her to Astralose and left the room while Link stared on quizzically.

"What do you want with her?" asked Link.

Astralose turned back towards Link, his face disturbingly calm. "Nothing. I just didn't want her dead because then I feared you might not be as willing to cooperate." Astralose's face appeared sincere, but Link could not be sure if he was telling the truth. Link did not press any further. He knew that if Astralose was lying he was not about to tell the truth any time soon.

"I'll cooperate." Link had forgotten that he had planned not to speak.

"I only need one little favor." Astralose paused and then continued. "I've been following you for quite some time Link. I've witnessed your exceptional bravery first hand."

"How long have you been following me?" asked the hero, suddenly suspicious.

"I first met you in Hyrule Castle Town, many months ago. I knew you were destined for great things. I knew you were looking for Spiritual Stones and I knew you would be the one that opened the gateway to the Sacred Realm. I knew you would be the Hero of Time. After your adventures were complete in Hyrule, I followed you into Termina and we met a second time." 

"But I don't recognize you."

"Ah, that is understandable. I rid myself of my most distinguishable feature after you left Termina. I cut off my long gray beard and hair and changed out of that awful blue cloak with stars on it."

"Wait. That was you. You're the one that first told me of the Shiekah, and you were the astronomer in Termina."

"Exactly. So you do remember?"

"Now that I know, I can tell by looking at your face."

Astralose chuckled. "Yes. I knew you would." He sighed and continued. "I was not the actual astronomer in Termina. That was not my observatory. I borrowed it for the time that you were there. I wish I had waited a while to do so though. Only an hour after I first entered it, that foolish Skull Kid came in and started destroying everything in sight. I haven't been too terribly fond of Skull Kids since then."

"So why have you been following me all this time?" questioned Link, changing the subject in the process.

"You are one to get to the point, aren't you? All right, if you must know. I need to enter the Sacred Realm." 

"Why?" asked the Hero of Time, instantly suspicious. 

"You're such a nosy little boy Link. Isn't it sufficient that I have told you that I have to enter it? Why must you know why?"

"When I was chosen as the Hero of Time, I became the only person who can remove the Master Sword from its pedestal. After what happened the last time I did so, I swore I would never remove it again. I'm sorry, but I can't help you. Regardless what your reasons are."

"Do you really know why you're the only one who can remove the Master Sword? It's not because you're the Hero of Time. " When Link did not reply, Astralose knew that he had no answer to this statement. "I didn't think so. If you knew, then you would realize that it isn't really up to you. I'll remove the Master Sword without you Link. And you will see how soon enough."

"You can't. It's impossible. I would die before I remove it again."

"Didn't you hear me? I don't need you to remove it."

"I don't believe you."

"Believe me or not. You will see for yourself soon enough. We are leaving for Hyrule tomorrow. Our destination: the Temple of Time and the gateway to the Sacred Realm. Take him away now. I'm done with him. And that fairy too. But be careful with her." The men grabbed Link by the arms and dragged him out of the room. He was thrown back into to the room he had awoken in with only Navi for company.


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter Twelve: The Return to Hyrule

Once inside of the small room that would temporarily be his cell, Link sat down in the one and only chair and sighed. He could tell—despite the blinding light coming from her body—that Navi was glaring at him irately. "What?" asked Link.

"I wish I knew what. You know Link, I can be really helpful. Have you forgotten all the times I helped you in Hyrule. Why did you ignore me, huh?"

"Navi, honestly, I'm sorry. I was just in a bad mood because of all that had been happening. I know how much you've helped me in the past, and we definitely need to help each other in the future, if we want to stop Astralose. So let's just put this little tiff behind us. All right?"

She sighed and fluttered up next to Link's left ear. She cuddled again the side of his head as she lightly touched his skin. Link could feel the warmth from her glowing body and knew that she was giving his ear a hug with her miniscule arms. "All right Link. I'll forgive you. But try and listen in the future. I really can be helpful."

"I know. Thank you. So what do you think Astralose is going to do? I mean, how is he going to pull out the Master Sword?"

Navi paused and hesitantly said, "I don't know."

The hero had known her long enough to tell when she was not being completely honest. "What Navi? Do you know how he plans to do it?"

"Maybe."

"How?" 

"I can't tell you Link. I'm sorry. It would be better if you didn't know."

"Navi, please. I need to know. We need to stop him before he enters the Sacred Realm."

"There's nothing you can do to stop this. Like he said, it's not up to you." 

"Who's it up to?" Navi fluttered in place quietly. "Navi, who's it up to?"

The fairy sighed audibly. "I think you'll know soon enough."

"So there's nothing I can do. What if we're able to escape?"

"Well, of course it would help to escape. But do you really think we'd get far? They're on horseback. We would be on foot," stated Navi.

"Well, this is great. How am I supposed to fight against something when I don't even know what it's planning to do? Ganondorf, I knew what he was going to do. Majora's Mask, to a lesser degree, I knew what it was going to do. But I have no idea what Astralose is going to do. And since you're not telling me, I don't suppose I will any time soon."

"Link-." Suddenly the door was slammed open and three men traipsed in.

"Astralose is ready to leave for Hyrule. We are to leave immediately." One of the men walked up to Link and grabbed him by the shoulders. He lifted Link—who only weighed eighty pounds—and threw him over his shoulder. "Grab the fairy!" ordered the man. "But be careful with her."  
One of the men pulled out a black bag and quickly threw it over the fairy, who had tried to flutter away unsuccessfully. He bundled the bag gently and walked out of the room with the imprisoned Navi. The man carrying Link soon followed. The third man gave the room a swift look over and then shut the door behind him on the way out.

Link was taken through the mess hall and out a door that he had not seen on his previous voyage through the room. Through this door was a small entry chamber and another open door that led outdoors. Link was carried out of this exit and found that he was no longer in the desert. "I must have been unconscious for a long time," he thought quietly.

They were now in an area of grasslands, which was brightly verdant and filled with many pleasant-smelling wildflowers. Link saw about fifty horses moving about the area, trampling the numerous flowers without even a second thought. Many of the horses bore Astralose's men, while some were still being prepared for what would prove to be a lengthy voyage. Link turned his head around to look behind him—his neck protesting with a twinge of pain—and saw a large, decrepit fort. The building had a large tower rising from its center. This steeple was adorned with a large flag. On the flag was a stylistic eye, with a single teardrop dropping from its bottom.

He knew that the flag was familiar, but it took him a moment to realize what it was. "The Shiekah?" he whispered questioningly to himself, yet his captor still heard him.

"Huh?" the man grunted. He turned around and saw where Link had been staring. "Ah, yeah. The Shiekah. This was one of their outposts many years ago. They have many forts like this spread around the lands outside of Hyrule. They used to inhabit them to ensure that no enemy could attack Hyrule unbeknownst to the King. But they've long been abandoned. They do make good shelters though. Now come on, our horse is ready."

"Horse. Oh no! Epona! Where is she! What did you do with her! She was by my side when you attacked. Where is she!"

"Hehe. She's perfectly fine. The boss plans to sell her when we get to Hyrule. After all, we have plenty of horses already and that horse is far too small for any of us to ride anyway."

"You can't sell her."

"Oh, but we can."

"If you do, I'll get her back. And I swear I'll use her to strike down your boss, you, and the rest of your band." 

The man laughed heartily. "You're funny kid. I know you're supposed to be some kind of hero or something, but do you really think you're in the position to be making threats. You're our prisoner. We'll do whatever we want with you, your horse, or your fairy, and there is nothing you can do about it."

Link bit his lip furiously. He knew that there was nothing he could do yet. But he made sure to memorize this man's face. He would be the first to fall when Link broke free and mounted Epona once more. The stranger carried Link up to a magnificent auburn-colored charger and set him on top of it. Then he quickly followed. Not long after, the old man Astralose emerged from the Shiekah's ancient outpost. "We ride now. We ride for Hyrule. Follow me," he ordered as he climbed onto the back of his own steed. He spurred his horse brutally and his men followed without hesitation.

They rode through the seemingly endless meadows all day. By nightfall, the wide grasslands had begun to transform into thick woodlands. They spent the night under the shadows of the mighty oaks' boughs. Link had difficulty falling asleep with five guards all around him, but he was eventually successful. The next day continued much like the one prior to it. When it was nearly dusk, a large cliff suddenly appeared in the forest. It rose up into the air nearly three hundred feet. Astralose led his men westward alongside the base of the cliff until they came to a narrow ravine that ran through it. They turned south and entered the shadowy canyon.

The chasm was heavily forested and took an hour to traverse. At its far end it came to a sudden stop. The canyon opened up into space. There was a thirty foot drop to a small lake below. Link was brought through the dense trees to the edge of this short precipice. As he looked down, he recognized the lake. He was looking southward over Zora's Fountain. He was in Hyrule at last.


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter Thirteen: Journey to the Temple of Time

Link's captor dismounted from his steed. Once both of his feet were on the ground, he grabbed Link and set him on the ground. "Don't even think about trying to escape," muttered the man. The Hero of Time ignored him and walked up to the lip of the precipice. His foot accidentally knocked loose a pebble, sending it cascading down the cliff face into the cool water below. His brief view was interrupted when someone shouted, "Bring forth the boats!"

Link turned around and saw several men carrying lightweight boats that were apparently made out of intertwined water reeds. The boats were laid down at the edge of the cliff on top of a smooth platform that had been set before Link had been taken down from the horse he had been riding. Shortly after, a heavy, metal crank was brought forward by eight particularly brawny men and set at the brink of the rock face. The crank had a crude, iron handle and had two coils of rope inside, which were wrapped around the iron handle in the interior of the crank. A rope emerged from each coil through the sides of the contraption. Two men proceeded to each rope to one end of a boat through a small metal ring on the bow and stern of the vessel.

Astralose stepped forward and sat down in the middle of the boat. "Come Link. Join me." Link did not protest. He traipsed up to the side of the water vessel and sat down on its hardwood bottom. One other man joined them before the boat was slid along the metal platform by four men and off the side of the cliff. Two men manned the crank, using it to gradually lower the boat down the thirty-foot cliff. A minute later, the boat was floating calmly on the surface of Zora's Fountain. "Row the boat," commanded Astralose. The man that had joined him and Link on the ride down picked up two paddles from the bottom of the boat and proceeded to row it towards the shore.

"Well Link, I'm sure you can guess where we are going," said the old man. When Link did not respond, Astralose chuckled aloud. "Ah, are we not speaking again? Well, in case you cannot guess, our destination is the Temple of Time. Or I should say the Sacred Realm. The Temple of Time is merely a rest stop for our ultimate objective. Don't hit the fish you fool!" shouted Astralose unexpectedly as his servant narrowly missed the hulking mass that was the Zora's sacred deity, Lord Jabu-Jabu.

"Sorry Boss," grumbled the man as he steered the vessel wider so they would miss Lord Jabu-Jabu's massive tail fin. He rowed the boat until it came to a rest at a shallow part of the lake that lay in front of a great wooden gate that blocked entry to the waterfall on its far side. "I hope you don't mind your feet wet Boss. We'll have to walk through the water if we want to pass through Zora's Domain."

"I realize that you fool! Have I not been here before? I've only spent nearly all of the sixty-eight years of my life in this confounded land." Astralose stepped out of the boat into the six-inch deep water that surrounded it. "Ah good, the rest of the boats are all down the cliff. We'll leave them here until we're ready to return. It was Zaboran, Vehemer, and Eleinen that agreed to wait at the top of the cliff to lift us back up, correct?"

"Yes boss. They did."

"Good," mumbled Astralose as the other boats entered into the shallow water and their riders exited them to stand by their leader's side. Link could see that one of these men was carrying a small, black sack. He recognized it as the one that Navi was imprisoned in. "Let's move men. It is time for us to progress to the Temple of Time. We have what we've been searching for for these past months and now we will achieve our goal at last." Astralose turned around and pushed Link in front of him and through the tunnel that was the entrance to Zora's Domain, the home of the water-loving Zoras.

Link rounded a corner and saw the backs of King Zora and Princess Ruto. Astralose pushed Link forward harshly so that he fell into the shallow water that lay at the King's feet. "Why, if it isn't the boy who found my daughter. What brings you back to Zora's Domain?" Link was about to speak, but the princess Ruto saw that something was wrong by the look in his eyes. "What's wrong Link?" she asked. "Is-," she started before her speech was suddenly interrupted by a strike to the back of the head by one of Astralose's goons. She fell five feet down the small waterfall that served as the King's throne and landed at Link's side. 

"What is the meaning of this!" shouted the King at Link, thinking he had had something to do with the attack.

"Quiet you filthy Zora!" shouted Astralose. Three men stepped forward and rammed into the back of King Zora, sending him toppling down after his daughter. Because he had such puny arms and hands for his comparatively large body, the King was unable to ease his fall and landed harshly on his head. He was immediately knocked unconscious. 

"What did you do to my father!" shouted the Zora princess.

"Quiet!" yelled one of the men as they jumped down the short waterfall and prepared to strike Ruto. Link darted in front of the Princess and hit the man squarely in the waist at a full run. The enemy was thrown backward into the small cliff that created the waterfall and joined King Zora in being unconscious.

"Grab the boy!" shrieked Astralose as Link ordered the Zora princess to run. Ruto turned around and raced down a staircase out of the throne room No sooner than she was gone, five men were upon Link. With no weapon, he was quickly restrained. "So you helped to save the girl?" said Link's newfound nemesis. "It won't matter. There's not enough time to stop us now. Come on men. Let's get to the Temple quickly. I'd rather not have to fight our way through these foolish Zoras." The men nodded and followed their leader down the staircase Princess Ruto had raced down only moments before. 

Minutes later they had snuck through Zora's Domain unnoticed. They followed the windy course of the Zora River and soon found themselves in the golden yellow grasslands of Hyrule Field. It was dusk and the sun was on the verge of disappearing behind the red rocks of Gerudo Valley in the west. Link was forced through the field with many violent shoves from behind. He wanted to try and escape into Kakariko Village so he could grab the Hylian Knight that was stationed there's spear, but he knew there was no chance that he could outrun these fully grown and trained men. Also, Navi would still be with the vile brutes. He could not risk leaving her for a moment. There was no telling what Astralose and his men might do to her. Link decided that he would have to wait for a more opportune time to make his escape.

They marched over the Zora River using a bridge that lay only feet from the walls that surrounded Hyrule Castle Town. The guard that protected the entrance to Hyrule Castle Town was outside, preparing to raise the drawbridge for the night. Astralose did not give him a chance. Link felt a man's hand cover his mouth, so he could not warn the knight. Astralose approached him from behind, grabbed the guard by his helmet, and slammed his head into the side of the nearby wall repeatedly. When the man was no longer struggling, whether it was because of death or unconsciousness was hard to tell, Astralose tossed him into the Zora River below.

Astralose nodded to his men and they crossed the drawbridge. "Now we will raise it up, so no reinforcements can arrive." His men grabbed the levers that controlled the drawbridge and lifted it up. When Link was pushed into the main market of Hyrule Castle Town, he saw that it was nearly empty except for four guards and a pack of mangy dogs. The dogs ignored the men that had suddenly entered into the marketplace, but the guards did not.

"Hey! What are you all doing?" asked one knight suspiciously.

"Men. Dispense of the guards and then meet me in the Temple." His servants left and Astralose grabbed Link strongly by the arm. "Come with me my fine young lad." He led the Hero of Time across the marketplace, ignoring the cries of the knights as they were struck dead, and proceeded up a small staircase that led to a garden in front of the Temple of Time. They crossed the garden, walked up another staircase, and entered the Temple of Time, where Link hoped to finally discover the truth.


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter Fourteen: A Startling Occurrence

Link was led into the famed Temple of Time and was immediately overcome by memories of the temple. He recalled when he had placed the three Spiritual Stones on their altar and played the Song of Time. He remembered the cracking of the Door of Time as it slowly widened, allowing him access to the chamber that held the Master Sword. His next vivid memory was removing the Master Sword, opening the gateway to the Sacred Ream, and then hearing the demonic laughter of the evil Ganondorf. It was when he heard that laughter that he realized what a mistake he had made. After that there was only blackness until seven years had passed and he was returned to the temple as an adult.

His first meeting with Sheik and then his realization a month later that the Sheikah was in fact Zelda were another pair of memories that Link would never forget, only made more potent by the imprisonment of Zelda soon after in a gigantic pink crystal. Ganondorf had caught them. His final memory of the Temple of Time was after he was returned to his childhood by the powers of the Ocarina of Time. His return was not without sadness though. It was then that Navi left his side. She fluttered over the Master Sword toward the ceiling of the Temple of Time and out of its high windows. He had been worried that he would never see her again, but he had finally found her.

And now he was back in the temple only months after his last memory, and he could see that the Spiritual Stones were still upon their altar. Astralose forced him down a stretch of red carpet with golden lace, around the altar that held the stones, up a small platform ringed with steps, through the still open Door of Time, and into the chamber that the Master Sword had rested in peacefully for centuries. The room had always been darker than the entrance chamber of the temple, but Link had forgotten how much so. He could hardly see through the shroud of darkness that lay within the room; yet mysteriously, the Master Sword still shone as if outdoors under the midday sun. Link did not remember it doing that the first time he had seen it in its pedestal.

"Here we are Link," said Astralose, interrupting the hero's brief reflection of the past. "We are in the Temple of Time and the Master Sword—the very gateway to the Sacred Realm—lies before us."

"I will not touch the Master Sword; it will remain its pedestal for all time."

"We shall see about that," declared Astralose with a chuckle. "Ah, and here come my men, with your fairy intact." When the men were before Astralose, he said, "Remove the fairy. Make sure she can clearly see us but also make sure that you have a hold of her. She cannot escape!"

The man holding the bag that contained Navi removed her from it. She fluttered violently, trying her hardest to escape, but she had no chance of breaking free from the man's powerful grip.

"Navi the fairy. It is good to see you well," said Astralose. "I assume that you know why you're here."

"I will never-," she began before Astralose interrupted her.

"Oh yes, you will. We have ways to convince you. Why do you think we brought the boy? It would have been easier to just kill him in the desert and toss his body into the ravine."

"Navi, what is he talking about?" asked Link. 

"I'm sorry Link."

"Sorry for what? Astralose! You can quit your game. I know that you need me to remove the Master Sword. I don't know what your ruse is, but the only way the Master Sword can be removed from its pedestal is by my hand. That is the truth."

"Link. Link. Link." Astralose shook his head. "But you are partially right. It is somewhat the truth. As it stands now, you are the only one that can remove the Master Sword. But that can be changed. All we need is your beloved fairy to comply."

"Why do you keep mentioning Navi? What does she have to do with this!"

"Everything! It is by her will that you are the only one able to remove the Master Sword." 

"Navi, what does he mean? Is this true?"

Navi fluttered quietly in her captor's hands for a moment before finally speaking. "It is true. The reason you are the only one who can remove the Master Sword is because I sealed it with my magic." 

"When?" asked Link, not believing his ears.

"When we returned to the past and I left the temple. As I fluttered up into the air towards the window, I went over the Master Sword. You didn't notice but I placed a simple sealing spell on it that would keep anyone from removing it except you."

"And as the one to place the spell, only she can remove it," interrupted Astralose. "Which is why we are all here today."

"I'm sorry Link," said Navi, interrupting the old man. "I would have told you, but I didn't want anyone to accidentally find out about it. I don't know how he did."

"As if I don't have the ability to detect a simple sealing spell," scoffed Astralose. "All I had to do was grab the Master Sword to realize that a spell had been cast. And it only took me a moment to realize that it was the spell of a fairy. And what fairy would that be, I asked myself. Why the boy's fairy of course. I immediately left the temple and who do you think I saw leaving the castle. The very same boy.

"I suppose he must have gone there to say goodbye to the princess Zelda, because she had given him her ocarina. Out of curiosity, I followed him. He went to Lon Lon Ranch and I heard him speaking to the young girl there. I overheard him saying that he wanted to find his fairy. Naturally, that gained my interest, considering what I had discovered only moments before. He purchased a horse and left the ranch. I quickly mounted my own steed and followed him, from a distance of course. I had hoped he would lead me to you Navi, but I admit after his detour in Termina, I was worried he would end up never finding you.

"And then he wanders into the Forest of Gormoth, where me and my men's quarters are located. I told him there that I was friends with the wizard that told him where you were located. Of course, that was a lie. I knew him not. I merely pretended that I did to explain how I knew the boy was looking for you Navi. When he led me to you, I had planned to kill him, but then I realized he could be of some use still."

"And what use is that?" questioned the hero, in shock of all of the events that had been going on behind his back.

"This use." He tightened his hold on Link and ordered his men to come to his side. "Pin him to the ground. I want you to hold him down so tight he cannot move in the slightest." The men threw Link to the ground and then sat upon his legs and arms, while another pinned his head down. "Navi. I will ask you nicely just once. Will you remove the spell on the Master Sword?" 

"Never!"

"Then so be it. The boy will die." 

"What!" cried Navi.

Astralose removed a long, shiny dagger from behind his cloak. He slit Link's tunic open from its collar to his belly button and spread it apart. He pressed the ice cold tip of the blade softly against the base of the hero's sternum.

"You can't do that!" shouted Navi.

"I can and I will, unless you remove the spell. I care not for this boy's existence. If you will not help me fairy, then you will see your beloved companion die here today."

"Don't listen to him Navi! Whatever happens to me, you cannot let them get the Triforce! You must not remove the spell!"

Navi began to tremble violently as she saw the tip of the dagger slide through the first half-inch of Link's flesh, like a knife through butter. Link screamed in pain as he felt the blade pass farther into him. Astralose was making sure to push the knife through as slowly as possible, ignoring Link's shrieks of pain. It was almost an inch into the Hero of Time's abdomen when Navi finally cried, "No! Don't! You can't kill him! I'll remove the spell! Please! Just leave him alone!"

"No Navi! Don't do it!"

"I can't let them kill you Link. I'm sorry."

Astralose ripped the knife back from Link's body, stood up, and then turned back to the fairy. "You've made the right decision. Now remove the spell."

"All right," sighed Navi. There was a brief pause before a sparkling trail of lights passed from the Master Sword into the fairy. The blade immediately lost its radiant glow.

"Is it done?"

"Yes," sobbed Navi lightly.

"Good then. Give the boy some red potion. I am not ready for him to die yet." Link was shaking in pain but when he felt the liquid pass down his throat, he noticed the throbbing begin to recede. "It is time men. This is what we've all been waiting for." The old man approached the Master Sword, looking down upon its majestic beauty lovingly.

"You shouldn't have removed the spell Navi," muttered Link. "I hope you realize that this could very well be the end of Hyrule."

"Not with you alive Link. I couldn't let them kill you. You are the hero for this land. Hyrule needs you alive for whatever evils may come upon it. There is no telling what could happen in the future."

"Well, there will definitely will be evils upon it in the future now."

Navi was about to speak before Astralose screamed, "Silence! This is my moment! I have been waiting for this for months. And I will not have some confounded fairy and foolish boy spoil it for me." Link did not speak again, but not because he was following Astralose's demand. He wanted to make sure he saw everything that was about to happen. Astralose placed his hands upon the hilt of the blade of evil's bane and pulled upward. It was proof that Navi's sealing spell had been removed when the sword easily slid upwards from the pedestal. 

Suddenly, Astralose shrieked with pain and dropped the sword. "Ah, it burned me!" he yelled. He turned around to address his men but a wave of blue light radiating from the Pedestal of Time immediately cut him off from even a sight of his men. The blue gradually transitioned into a blinding white light. The light filled the chamber so that everyone within it was blinded by its brightness 

Link looked around from his place on the hard stone ground, but all he could see was whiteness. He felt his captors' hands still holding him down, but he could not see them through the vivid whiteness that had filled the room. He heard Astralose cry, "Yes! It is just as I had foreseen!" A moment later a black dot appeared in the distance. The black dot slowly grew until it was the size of Link's head. It continued to increase in diameter until it was the size of a house. Link felt the ground begin to rumble as the shroud of darkness continued to spread.

Eventually Link noticed that the blanket of shadow was now approaching him, the rest of the men, and Navi. Suddenly a deafening boom occurred and the blackness expanded instantaneously. They were now all engulfed within it. Link still could not see anything, but he heard a chuckle of laughter. The laughter grew into a brutish guffaw. Then a light thud came to Link's ears. The darkness began to dissipate and Link could vaguely make out the hands that were still grasping him tightly. A moment later, he could make out their faces. He turned to the side and realized that Navi was now in sight, along with the gaping Door of Time behind her. 

"Look Link!" shouted Navi.

Link turned around and looked back towards the Pedestal of Time. The first thing that he noticed was the Master Sword lying on the ground only feet away. Near it was Astralose huddled on the floor, trembling. And just on the other side of the old man—standing seven feet tall and clothed all in black—was the King of Evil, Ganondorf.


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter Fifteen: A Skirmish in the Temple of Time

For a moment, Link could not turn away from the astonishing sight of Ganondorf returned to Hyrule, but he was finally able to focus his gaze back on Astralose. At first glance, the old man appeared dead. He was on his knees with his face planted flatly into the ground and he was not moving. However, Link realized that he was in fact alive when he suddenly jumped up to his feet. Astralose approached the towering green-skinned Ganondorf and began to caress his long black cloak tenderly. "You are back and just as I remember you," said Astralose.

It took a moment for what Astralose had said to sink in for Link. "Wait! This was your plan all along? To resurrect him?"

"Huh?" muttered Astralose as if he had been awoken from a daydream. He turned to Link and smiled. "I had almost forgotten you were there boy. Yes. That was the intention."

"I thought you had wanted-."

"What? The Triforce," interrupted Astralose. "No. I have no desire for that ancient relic. I don't want to be the ruler of Hyrule. I have no interest in unlimited power."

"Then why would you resurrect him?" 

"Who?" Astralose turned around and looked at Ganondorf, who had yet to speak. "Oh yes. Him. It was his request." 

"Request? But how do you know him?"

"Oh, that's quite a simple answer. He is Ganondorf Dragmire." Astralose paused and was about to speak before Link stopped him.

"So?" 

"I was getting to that. He is Ganondorf Dragmire. And I am Astralose Dragmire."

Link could not believe his ears; this was just too much. The past events had been far too overwhelming. Starting with his kidnapping, then the King of Evil's rebirth, and now this startling revelation, Link did not know what to expect next. "So you are his-?"

"Father. Yes. He is my son. My dear, dear son."

"So that is why you've brought him back?" 

"Silence! Both of you!" ordered Ganondorf, speaking for the first time. "The King of Hyrule speaks. How I remember you Link. The Hero of Time," laughed the King of Evil. "What a title! Unfortunately for you, that title is not enough to save you from my power. You will die soon and I will seize back the throne that I have so rightfully earned. But I wish to savor the look of defeat upon your visage. How about I entertain you with a brief story? I'm sure you're interested in knowing how my father knew to resurrect me. "It's especially humorous because you and your petty Sages thought you had me sealed for eternity. But though I hold only the Triforce of Power and not the Triforce of Wisdom, I am no fool. I realized that there was no way of knowing for sure what might happen when I entered the Sacred Realm. It is after all an unprecedented event. I spoke to my mothers and asked them if my plan were to go awry, would they bring me back from the confines of the Sacred Realm. 

"How furious I was when they denied me. They warned me that it would not be prudent for them to leave the desert at that time. As if prudent matters at all to the then King of the Gerudo and the now King of Hyrule. Why should I worry about a clumsy old fool sitting on his throne and his feeble knights? He matters not. He could not stop me. So I asked my mothers if there was anyone else who I could trust to do this task. They told me of my father whom I had never seen nor spoken too. It is a tradition of the Gerudo to sneak into Hyrule Castle Town and find men for the sole purpose of creating children. My father was one of those men. Thirty-seven years ago my mother—who died while giving birth to me—met my father. I was then conceived. 

"My mothers told me where I could find my father and I immediately went to him. He did not believe I was his son at first, but when I took hold of him after I grew somewhat angry with him, he was able to tell. I told him about my plan and instructed him to wait for the first person to emerge from the Sacred Realm. If it was me, then my plan was successful. If it was you, then I had failed and he would have to take the Master Sword from you and use it to open the gateway to the Sacred Realm. What is interesting is that I actually succeeded and failed. Although, he does not realize it. He only remembers my failure and not my seven years as ruler of Hyrule." 

"Son. You succeeded?"

"Yes, but thanks to this boy that time period no longer exists. Now that I have a taste of that power though, I need it once more. Which will be our goal now that I am at last free."

"You will fail Ganondorf. You will not take Hyrule again," said Link without the slightest doubt. 

Ganondorf chuckled harshly. "Oh, but I will. Because there is no one to stop me. The Hero of Time will soon be dead and the Triforce of Power is still mine. Hyrule will fall as quickly as it did while you were in your slumber in the Sacred Realm."

"Hyrule will never fall as long as we knights are here to defend it." Twenty Hylian knights had just entered through the Door of Time. 

"You fools!" screamed Ganondorf at his father's men. "You can't even watch a door!" Ganondorf then turned to the Hylians and laughed. "If you value your lives, then I suggest you flee now. I am not yet ready to make war on your land, but I will kill you if I have to."

"You will never take Hyrule Ganondorf!" yelled the captain of the knights. "We never would have guessed this of you Ganondorf, King of the Gerudo. Our king thought he could trust you, but we have now heard your traitorous speech and seen the bodies of our comrades that you left in the marketplace dead. Your treason will end here. Draw your blades men!" 

Ganondorf released his deepest guffaw yet as the twenty knights unsheathed their swords. "Kill them," ordered Ganondorf with a sadistic grin. Astralose's men drew their own blades and approached the knights. Link was surprised when his captors joined the fray, releasing him from their grasp. He looked at the Master Sword—the blade of evil's bane—and decided that it was time for him to arm himself again. He stood up and made a run for the powerful weapon. However, Ganondorf saw his attempt and said, "I don't think so boy." The Gerudo swung his arm forward towards Link and laughed as the boy flew backwards five feet.

"You shall never touch that sword again," the King of Evil said as he approached it. Knowing that he could not pick it up without extraordinary pain because the power of light in the sword and the power of darkness within his heart were too divergent to unite, Ganondorf kicked the sword to the far corner of the room. He looked up and was angered to see that five of his father's men and already been slain at the expense of only one of his enemies. "Ah! My father is apparently incapable of teaching men how to wield a sword! Step aside!" When no one responded, he stretched his arms out in front of himself and then threw them sideways. All the men that were fighting were tossed to one side of the room or the other. One of the men that was flung aside had been holding Navi. In his surprise, he accidentally released her.

The fairy quickly fluttered over to Link's side and asked if he was all right. "Yes. I'm fine," he responded. "But I need the Master Sword."

"Maybe he'll give it to you."

"What do you mean?"

"Look!" Navi fluttered over Link's head to direct his view to the corner of the room where the Master Sword was laying. One of the men had dropped his sword when Ganondorf had thrown him. He now found himself in front of a very worthy replacement. He picked up the Master Sword with both his hands and smiled down at it fondly. "Hey!" shouted Link. "Give it to me! I need it to defeat him!"

"What? Are you kidding kid? Like I'm going to give the Master Sword to some little child. Now get out of here before you get hurt. You're lucky to still be alive."

"But you don't understand. I have to have it now!"

"Kid. You don't even know what this sword is or what it means."

"This is pointless," muttered Link to Navi.

"It's too bad, but nobody in Hyrule realizes what you did for them. It's all been erased." 

"I know. And I could care less about glory or fame. I just wish they knew who I was so I could get the Master Sword and do something about Ganondorf." Suddenly a piercing scream echoed through the chamber. The man with the Master Sword had been impaled from behind by one of Astralose's men. He fell dead and his killer removed his sword from his back.

"Now's your chance Link! Hurry!"

Link stood up and raced for the Master Sword. He ducked under the enemy's arms as he tried to grab him and picked up the only blade that could defeat Ganondorf. As he swung the blade upward, he spun around and continued his motion so that his weapon struck the torso of the nearest enemy. The sword stuck halfway through the man's abdomen and was nearly pulled out of Link's hands when his foe fell dead. Link turned around and saw that he had killed the last of Astralose's men. The old man was still standing by the Pedestal of Time, apparently in awe of the quickly escalating carnage. Ganondorf was fighting ten Hylian knights at once. Even with the Triforce of Power, it was clear that he was still having a difficult time.

When he saw that Link now held the Master Sword, Ganondorf decided it was time to flee. They would return later when they were more able to kill the boy and take Hyrule. "Old man! Come! Hurry! It is time for our departure!"

Link decided then that it was the best time to attack the evil Gerudo, but as he made his charge, Ganondorf crouched to the ground and then threw himself back upward. This sent a wave of power that radiated from his body and made all of his attackers fly into the air. Link flew backwards and struck one of the hard marble walls that lined the room. His last image before he lost consciousness was the Hylians strewn around the room in pain and Ganondorf racing out of the Temple of Time with Astralose in tow.


	16. Chapter 16

**Chapter Sixteen: A Plan Is Formed**

When Link finally awoke, he found himself surrounded by the surviving Hylian knights. They were looking down at him with a strange mix of pity and mistrust. The captain of the men—who had barely survived Ganondorf's onslaught—finally spoke when he saw that the boy in front of him was fully coherent. "Are you all right?" he asked.   
Link nodded. "Where is he? Where did Ganondorf go?"

"He is gone. He took the old man with him."

"Nobody followed him?"

"Listen kid. I'm going to be the one asking questions here. I realize that you're only a child and this has probably been a very frightening night for you but you are going to have to come with me."

"To where?"

"The castle. The King will want to know what your connection to the King of the Gerudo is."

Link looked down and realized what had been causing a noticeable feeling of loss since he had awoken. "Where is the Master Sword?" he asked.

"It was never your right to wield the blade that was made to destroy all evil. I have taken it from you. It does not belong in the hands of a child. I will bring it to the King and he will decide what is to be done with it."

"You don't understand! I need it! It's the only way to defeat him!" 

"And who are you to defeat him? I don't know what your connection to that Gerudo is, but you will save your story until we're before the King. There you will tell him all you know. I'm sure you are aware of the punishment for withholding vital information from the King of Hyrule. Help him up," ordered the captain to one of his men. The knight stepped forward and picked Link up from the ground. He took his hand and gripped it tightly enough to make sure he could not break free but not so tight as to hurt him. "And somebody take the fairy. I don't know whether she is a Healer or a Guardian but she may have some valuable information." 

Navi did not protest. She knew her purpose was to accompany Link; she also realized that the King of Hyrule was not a wicked man. She hoped to convince him that as the Hero of Time, Link was the only one that could defeat the King of Evil. That is why she allowed herself to be taken into the hands of another Hylian. After she was secure, the knights departed from the temple to Hyrule Castle with Link and Navi in tow.  
They passed back into the market and made a right down the cobblestone road that led to Hyrule Castle. Link noticed that the bodies of the fallen knights had already been cleaned from the marketplace. With the center of Hyrule Castle Town behind them, they continued down the road until it became a dirt track. Ahead lay the gate that the Hero of Time remembered having to climb up a cliff just to get around it. It was a strange feeling having the gate open before him. After the trail wound around a small hill, it reached a drawbridge that crossed the moat that encircled the palace. Link was led across the drawbridge and into the castle. 

The passageways were all dark since the only sources of light were the flickering of candles. They turned left at a wide opening and found themselves before a magnificent oak door, inlaid with beads of gold and crested with a line of brilliant rubies. Two of the guards pushed the door open and Link got his first glimpse of the King of Hyrule's throne room. Down its center ran a red carpet very similar to the one that decorated the Temple of Time. It traversed the distance between the entry of the throne room and the King's golden seat. The King was a tall and muscular man. He was clearly a very powerful individual. He was a testament to the awe-inspiring vitality of his predecessors and a sign of his hearty line to come. His lush brown hair flowed halfway down his back and shone brilliantly even in the darkness that then cloaked his chamber. Even though he was clothed in his pajamas, his appearance was nonetheless majestic. He was the King of Hyrule, the most powerful kingdom in the known world.

When he was deposited at the King's feet, Link kneeled down respectfully. "Rise. There is no time for such pleasantries. I was enjoying my pleasant and well-deserved slumber when who should come to my door but the captain of my men. Apparently, the King of the Gerudo, a man who I had thought was my ally, was attempting to seize the Triforce. Luckily my men arrived before his evil design could be complete. He has now fled. You were with him when my men arrived. I know that you must know something of his whereabouts. If you have any care for this kingdom, you will speak."

The King's face was intimidating and stern but Link could tell that he had no intention to harm him. "I think that I know where he has gone. I will tell you and I will help you in your battle against him in any way that I can. I only request one thing." 

"And what is that?"

"The Master Sword." 

"Not this again," interrupted the captain of the knights. 

"Silence Corgenth," replied the King, gesturing at his captain. "You may leave now. And take your men. Wait outside the door. I may need you once more tonight. And leave the fairy too." Navi was released and the knights quickly left the chamber. The King turned back to Link. "And who are you to wield the Master Sword?"   
Link paused for a moment. He was not one to crave the attention that this could bring, but he knew there was no hope of regaining the powerful blade unless he was entirely honest. "I am the Hero of Time."

"The Hero of Time! That is preposterous. I know all of our ancient lore. I know the Hero of Time's purpose. He is the savior of Hyrule during its greatest tribulation. Nowhere does it say that he is a child. Such an important fact would not be left unstated. It is untrue."

"If you do not believe me, if you do not return the Master Sword to me, then Ganondorf will return and conquer Hyrule."

"That is a lie."

"But it's true!" squeaked Navi, speaking for the first time.

"So you plan on continuing your lies?" asked the king, ignoring Navi. "I do not have the time for this. If you will not willingly tell me Ganondorf's whereabouts then maybe a night in our dungeon will change your mind. Corgenth!" The captain of the knights returned from outside of the entry to the throne room.

"Yes your majesty."

"Take the boy and the fairy to the dungeon." Corgenth snapped his fingers and his men followed him into the room. They grabbed Link and Navi and were preparing to carry them into the dungeon when a young girl poked her head into the chamber.

"Father. What's all this commotion?" asked the girl softly.

Link immediately recognized the voice and turned to see the girl that was producing it. When he saw her face, he identified her at once. It was Princess Zelda. Their eyes locked for a moment and a look of utter astonishment came over the Princess's face.

"Link. What are they doing to you?"

"You know this child?" asked the King.

"Yes father. You must unhand him immediately. You have no idea what great things he has done."

"What are these great things?"

"When we met, eight months ago, I told him about my distrust of Ganondorf and how you would not listen to me because he was your ally. I convinced him that the only way to stop Ganondorf from gaining the Triforce would be to get the Spiritual Stones before he could and open the door to the Sacred Realm ourselves. He was successful, and without any assistance. That night when I disappeared from the castle and you did not know where I was, I threw the Ocarina of Time to him so he could open the Door of Time. You wondered where I had gone Father. I'm telling you now that Impa took me with her because we knew Ganondorf was planning to attack the castle. We had to get away with the Ocarina of Time in hand. With the Ocarina of Time and the three Spiritual Stones, Link opened the door of time and pulled the Master Sword."

"He pulled the Master Sword. It has been said by our ancestors that the first person to remove the Master Sword from its pedestal was destined to be the Hero of Time. Then it is true. You are the Hero of Time." Link and Zelda nodded. "Then remove him men. And give him back his blade. It is his now, not ours." When the Master Sword was returned to its rightful wielder, the King spoke again. "I apologize for doubting you Link. I never could have imagined that the Hero of Time would be so young. It is your destiny to defeat Ganondorf. You said that you know where he is?"

"I think I do."

"Then I will send all of my knights with you. You will find Ganondorf and put an end to his treachery."

"No your majesty. With all due respect, I don't believe that that is what we should do. I will find Ganondorf myself; your men should stay here and prepare themselves for whatever Ganondorf might be planning."

"Yes Link. That does sound like a good idea. That way if you are unable to find Ganondorf, my men will still be here to defend my kingdom. Will you leave immediately?"

"Yes. I'll need to hurry if I want to catch him in time to make a difference. If that is all your majesty…"

"Yes. It is. You may go Link. And good luck on your quest. May you be successful in putting an end to the Gerudo's fiendish designs." Link turned around with Navi fluttering after him. He passed Zelda on the way out and they exchanged a smile. It looked as if she wanted to say something but her father called her to his side before she had the chance. Link looked over his shoulder as she hurried to her father's side and then left the throne room, ready to find Ganondorf and stop him once and for all.


	17. Chapter 17

**Chapter Seventeen: The Search Begins**

When Link was outside of the throne room, Navi buzzed over his ear and asked, "So where do you think Ganondorf is? Not at Astralose's fortress?"

"That's the only place I can think of. If he isn't, then we may be able to find some clue to his true whereabouts there at least." Link turned right onto the main hallway of the castle. He walked over the rickety drawbridge that led to the verdant lawns that blanketed the land in front of the castle. He ignored the knights who glanced after him in suspicion and continued with his hurried pace until he passed through the final gate on the way to Hyrule Castle Town. He was surprised to find that the gate was still open from the last time he had went through it. He rushed under the archway that housed the gate and was about to enter the sleepy town when he heard his name called out by a girl's voice.

It was Princess Zelda and she was carrying a medium-sized Hero's Shield. When she saw him staring at the shield as she approached, she said, "I noticed you didn't have a shield. It's the same type that I gave you when you told me you were leaving for Termina. You'll find it just as helpful as that one." She stared at him quietly before blurting out, "So are you going to tell me what happened in Termina?! You suddenly show up and tell me you're leaving for a far-off land and then you come back a few months later and Ganondorf is suddenly revived. You told me the Sages had sealed him in the Sacred Realm sometime in the future. Was that a lie?"

"A lot has happened since we last spoke Zelda. Far too much to discuss now. I have to hurry and find Ganondorf. It will take many hours for me to tell you what happened and we just don't have the time. Hyrule doesn't have the time." When he saw the disappointment on the young princess's face, he continued, saying, "But don't worry. When I get back, I'll tell you all about it. And I intend to discover Ganondorf's plan before I defeat him with the Master Sword. My story won't truly be complete until I discover what his designs are. And you don't want an incomplete story, do you?"

Zelda smiled. "No. I don't. But you'd better make the story especially good for the extra wait."

Link smiled in return and said, "Of course I will. Now, I'd better go. I will see you when I get back."

"But wait. I can help you."

"How?"

"Ganondorf has a significant head start Link. You will have a much better chance of catching him if you have a horse."

"I know. I'll have to get Epona back somehow, someway."

"But she's already back. That's what I'm trying to say. She's in the village stable."

"How?" 

"A Zora messenger came to the castle while you were still in the Temple of Time. He told my father what had happened in Zora's Domain."

"Is King Zora all right?"

"Yes. He is fine. The Zora messenger also told my father that there were still men in the canyon above Zora's Fountain. He sent some of his most experienced knights to Zora's Domain and they were led into the canyon through a hidden cavern known only to the Zora. The men were gone. But there was one horse still there. They brought her to the village stable. The stable boy—a friend of Malon's—recognized her and said that she was yours now, that you had bought her from Malon."

"How do you know this?"

"My father told me in the throne room just now. He wanted me to be the one to tell you."

Link bit his lip softly when suddenly he remembered something. "And Princess Ruto? Has she been found? Is she okay?"

Unexpectedly, Zelda giggled squeakily. "Oh yes. It was she that sent the Zora Messenger. And she told him to make sure that her fiancée was alive and well. What does she mean by that Link?" asked the Princess with a smile.

"Um, err, I, uh, I don't know."

Zelda laughed aloud. "It's okay Link. She was obviously joking."

"Oh, oh yeah. She was joking. That's right." Link was trying his hardest to make his lie unnoticeable, but he honestly felt that he was not particularly successful in this endeavor. "Well, Princess. I have to leave now. Thank you for telling me about Epona. Now I am certain I'll catch Ganondorf before he can begin his evil plot."

"All right Link. Good luck. And be careful. Hyrule needs you." She smiled. Link grabbed the shield from her hands, flipped it over his back, secured it, and turned away. He quickly departed down the dirt path into town.

Link did not know if he would ever see Zelda again, but he hardly had the time to think about anything other than getting Epona back and riding after Ganondorf. The town stable was located in the back alleys of Hyrule Castle Town. Link recognized the structure from his excursions in those same alleys in the days before he had first pulled out the Master Sword. He entered the building and was surprised to see that the stable boy was not there.

The only residents of the stable were Epona and three other horses. Two of the horses were a fine chestnut color while the other one was as black as a thunder-storm-stricken night. Epona stuck out noticeably with her ruddy coat and white mane. Link approached her excitedly and said, "It's great to see you once more Epona. I had thought that I had lost you for good. Are you ready for our greatest journey? Tonight is the night that we ride after Ganondorf, Astralose, and their minions. Their evil ways will come to an end. Tonight we ride for freedom, tonight we ride for the end of evil, tonight we ride for Hyrule." Link mounted his horse swiftly and looked to the open stable door in front of him. Navi rested on his shoulder softly. "On Epona!" he shouted. With an abrupt spurn to the side, Epona galloped off into the darkness that blanketed Hyrule.


	18. Chapter 18

Chapter Eighteen: The Abandoned Village

After two weeks, Link found himself in the middle of the vast desert that lay between Hyrule and the Forest of Gormoth. He had already passed the canyon where he had been captured by Astralose and was now riding hard in the direction of the forest. The maze of twisted canyons and sandstone cliffs eventually translated into massive sand dunes, shaped by the harsh winds of the land into jagged curves. Here Link decided to dismount from Epona and help her through the treacherous sand. He took a swig from his canteen, which was steadily depleting, and grabbed a hold of Epona's reins. He began to lead her up the face of the first sand dune.

As they continued onward, the ridges of sand progressively increased in height, so that after only a few miles' trekking, Link found it nearly impossible to climb one of the dunes without having to let Epona take a lengthy break afterwards. Fortunately, the dunes ended not long after they began to reach two hundred feet in height. Link was surprised to see, when he scaled the highest mound yet, that there were no more sand dunes ahead of them. Instead, wide salt flats lay all the way up to the fringes of the horizon. And in the distance, as far as Link's Hylian eyes could see, was a large lake. "Aha!" he said. "There's the lake where the river from the forest ends Navi. Now we know we'll be out of this desert soon."

Navi bobbed up in down in mid-flight to show that she agreed. In a hurry to get out of the oppressive heat that blanketed the desert, the Hero of Time mounted his steed and pushed her forward. She traipsed down the windward—and steeper—side of the sand dune, but when she reached the flatlands that opened up at its base, she increased her speed to a full gallop. Three hours later, they were alongside of the lake, resting peacefully.

Link refilled his flask and took an enthusiastic gulp. "It's almost nightfall. I think we should rest here. With Epona, we should be able to make it to Astralose's village tomorrow." He lay down on the dirty ground, watched Epona start to move around in search of her evening meal, and felt Navi nestle herself in his wavy blonde hair. He then fell asleep.

The next morning they awoke nearly simultaneously. The sun had thus far barely managed to lift itself over the horizon to the east. Link stood up, approached Epona—who had curled up in the only patch of grass she could find in the area—and gently prodded her. She whinnied softly and stood up. She nibbled the grass that had been her bed for the night while Link refilled his water container. He munched on some dehydrated fruit that he purchased from the Zoras for the journey and reflected on how relieved he was that Princess Ruto had been asleep when he had passed through Zora's Domain. It had nothing to do with disliking her; he was very fond of the Zora Princess. He just could not stand having to hear her proclaim their engagement again. He had already been embarrassed enough by that silly notion.

Epona neighed abruptly, bringing Link out of his brief fit of daydreams. He turned to his mount and saw that she had finished her meal and was ready to continue their journey. Link returned his bag of food to the hidden pocket that lay behind his shield and stood up. He climbed up his steed, waited for Navi to flutter onto his shoulder, and then spurred Epona energetically. She quickly hurried alongside the shoreline of the lake. Eventually, the lake transitioned into a wide and mighty river, the very same river that would lead them almost directly to Astralose's fortress.

Many miles upstream, stunted trees began to appear. The farther they traveled, the taller and greener these trees became until twenty miles from the lake, it was clear that they had returned to the Forest of Gormoth. Not long after this, they climbed up a high cliff alongside of a waterfall using a steep switchback path. At the top of the cliff lay the Lost Temple, where Navi had briefly been imprisoned by its charms. Link saw the fairy look towards the dilapidated Temple hungrily. "Faster Epona!" he shouted with a couple extra kicks to her side. Luckily, Epona was able to carry them away from the Temple's crumbling walls before Navi could express her deep desire to visit them.

The trees began to thicken even further, causing Epona to slow down considerably. A few hours later, they came to a familiar bend in the river. Link knew that if they went straight into the forest—leaving the side of the watercourse—they would come to Astralose's stronghold after only five minutes. Link pulled on Epona's reins to slow her down; he wanted to sneak into the village. A few minutes later, they found themselves in the wide clearing that held the small town. Link was surprised to see that there was no visible sign of anyone inhabiting the village.

They checked all of the huts that were spread about the clearing, but found nobody within them. "Navi. Can you search Astralose's fortress? I am going to search the labyrinth to make sure that they aren't hiding in there."

"Where is it?"

"It's through the trees in that direction." Link pointed in the right direction and Navi nodded.

"All right Link. You be careful now."

"I will. I always am. Now, you'll probably be done searching first, so wait for me at the entrance to the maze, which is right there on the side of that hill." Navi nodded and departed for their enemy's citadel. Link approached the gate that rested in the side of the knoll, which was the only change in elevation in the entire village, and was surprised to see that it was already open. He dismounted Epona and entered the putrid, dark tunnel within.

Navi returned from her exploration of the enemy's fortress only a half-hour later. She had found nothing even remotely suspicious. She glided onto Epona's back and awaited Link's return. Three hours had passed and Navi was starting to get worried that Link had walked into a trap. She heard the thud of boots approaching and looked into the pitch-black entrance of the labyrinth. She could see nothing coming.

"There's no sign of anyone in there," said someone from the opposite direction.

Navi wheeled about and saw Link standing behind her. "Where did you come from?"

"I came out through an exit from the other side. I searched every passageway I came across. There's not a soul living anywhere in there."

"So what do we do now?"

"I don't know. I felt certain that Ganondorf would come here to rebuild his forces. I guess I was wrong though." He paused and it was clear that he was thinking. "It's almost nightfall," he said slowly. "I think we should spend the night here and then decide what new direction we'll take tomorrow."

"All right. Where do you want to sleep?"

"Well, there are many huts to choose from. How's that one?" he asked, pointing at the nearest thatched hut.

"All right." Navi flew up to the door of the small structure and waited for Link to open it for her. He did, and they entered the small room within. During the night, they would have to decide their next course of action. This decision rested completely on just one question. Where in the whole wide world, could Ganondorf and Astralose be?


	19. Chapter 19

Chapter Nineteen: The Source of All Evil

Link awoke early the next morning. He was able to open the door of the hut and go outside without waking Navi. He looked around the empty village disappointedly. He had half expected Ganondorf, Astralose, and their minions to have arrived during the night. As he walked around from hut to hut, his disappointment became even more evident. Where could they be? he asked himself. He plopped down onto the ground, a hundred feet from the hut he had spent the night in. Ignoring the feather-light grass as it tickled his exposed calves, he tried to answer this question. 

Where else could they be if they aren't here? There aren't any other buildings in this forest, except for the Lost Temple. But they wouldn't be in the Lost Temple. Or would they? Maybe they are. Maybe Astralose has a hideout there. It's worth looking into. Link stood up, brushed the dew off of his tunic and left to wake up Navi. It was decided. He would search the Lost Temple. If they were not there, then he would do whatever it took to find them, even if it meant exploring the entire Forest of Gormoth.

Navi was never the most pleasant fairy when she had to wake up early—she would usually become very moody for at least the first three hours of the day—but that morning seemed to be an exception. When Link told her that they should check the Lost Temple, she became suddenly ecstatic. "Really?! I agree! We should really go there! I honestly believe that Ganondorf is there!"

Something about the way she was bobbing up and down in midair gleefully as she said this was off-putting to Link. "On second thought, I think you should stay here Navi. I don't think you're completely free of the charms of the Temple. I think it would be a mistake for you to go back there." 

"What?! No! I need to go Link! I mean, you need me! To help you!"

"I'll manage without you for the day. There probably won't be anything there anyway."

"I'm going Link! And you can't stop me!"

"Navi, do you hear yourself? Please, only something bad will happen if you come. Promise me that you'll stay here." Navi paused in mid-flight silently. "Please Navi."

"Oh, all right," she sighed. "But you're sure you won't need my help?" she asked hopefully. 

"No. Just stay here. You can watch the village too to make sure that no enemies are sneaking around here at night."

"Fine. Be careful."

"I always am. And don't follow me."

"I won't! You would think you would trust me by now! Honestly. After all we've been through."

Link chuckled. "Bye Navi," he said as he turned to leave.

"Of all the indignities…" she muttered as he mounted Epona, entered the trees a few feet away, and disappeared.

On foot, it was a lengthy journey from Astralose's village to the Lost Temple, but with Epona it was only a few hours. That was why Link was able to make it to the decrepit temple before noon. Link dismounted Epona at the largest hole in the Temple's crumbling walls. It was the very same one he had entered with Astralose nearly two weeks earlier. He stepped through this gap and entered the darkness within the ancient structure.

He was surprised to see that the rabid child and the Skull Kids that had been present during his first visit to the Lost Temple were no longer there. He did not understand how they could have possibly managed to escape the mysterious charms of that building on their own. Suddenly though, something happened that drove the missing inhabitants out of his mind completely. There were a series of grunts and shouts echoing through the chamber that Link was in. He could not tell where they were coming from though. The room was very small, so it was impossible for any creatures to be hiding within it.

Looking around, he finally identified where the noise was originating from. In the corner of the room, there was a small hole that was even darker than the dimness that Link currently found himself in. He approached the crack cautiously and looked down within it. There was an orange, unchanging pinprick of light that appeared to be hundreds of feet below him. As he stood on the verge of the fissure, he heard another roar, followed by even more shouts. He knew he had to get down there somehow to find the source of this noise, but there was no way to climb down through the hole. There must be a stairway to take me down there.

Silently, he backed away from the aperture and left the room through a nearby hallway. The hallway continued for a hundred feet without altering its course. At the end of it, there was another small room. Link crossed the room quietly and entered another, larger chamber on its far side. He was surprised at the emptiness of the rooms, considering how many had been occupied the last time he had been there. In this room, Link was delighted to find a staircase going downwards.

The stair opened up from a narrow gap in the middle of the room and then curled into the ground. It was hewn out of the earth that surrounded it and as he descended it, Link noticed the steps transition first from the limestone used to build the temple to the soil that lay beneath it. Eventually the steps transitioned into smoothly sculpted lava rock. Not long after this, the staircase ended. Before the Hero of Time there lay a long passageway; it was also hewn out of the basalt that dominated that level in the world's crust.

As he hurried down the hallway, he noticed his surroundings growing gradually lighter with a soft, reddish glow. By the time the passage ended, the glow had brightened to a nearly blinding radiance. At the end of the passageway was the most startling thing Link had seen since Ganondorf's revival in the Temple of Time. He was standing on a balcony overlooking a chamber that he could not even see all the way across because of its sheer size. Down the center of the room ran a river of molten lava, sizzling and occasionally swelling, sending flaming magma onto the ground—which was entirely basalt—around it. However, this was not what was so startling to the hero.

Filling the room entirely, as far as his eyes could see, was a fearsome army of enemies. Moblins and Bokoblins were the main enemies present. But there were also hundreds of tremendously violent Dark Nuts, evil Wizrobes, Garo Ninjas, and other enemies that even Link's well-versed eyes had never seen before. And in the heart of this dreadful collection of adversaries—on a massive platform—were the evil Gerudo King Ganondorf and his father Astralose.


	20. Chapter 20

Chapter Twenty: A Magical Defense

In a tavern in Hyrule, a man in his early thirties sat at the bar silently. He gave a quick glance around the room, drained his stein full of mead, and then turned to leave. As he walked out of the door, he bumped into a group of red-haired, stern-faced women. Nearly unconscious from his drunkenness, the man almost fell backwards to the ground.  
"What do you think Syrmia? He's kinda cute," said one of the women.

"He can barely stand," another one of the women replied.

"So? If he can barely stand, it means he can barely remember anything. You know how it goes Syrmia. We come into Hyrule Castle Town once a year during the harvest and look for a male. We seduce him, head back to the Fortress, and wait to see if we are pregnant. This man is perfect. If he can't remember what happens between you tonight, then he'll never know that he might be a father." She turned to the tipsy man and demanded, "Are you eavesdropping?!"

"N- no," he hiccupped.

"Good. Now, how would you like to spend the night with Syrmia here?"

The man surveyed the very beautiful woman lustfully. "I- I would like that a lot."

"Good. Take him Syrmia. He's more than willing."

The beautiful woman approached the stumbling man, grabbed his arm, and led him away.

They approached an old hotel—hidden in the back-alleys of the town—and entered one of its rooms quietly. Syrmia sat the man down in a nearby chair and looked down at him nervously. "This is my first time coming here. I just came of age. I don't feel very comfortable doing this, but it is a necessary part of our culture."

"And what culture is that?"

"I am a Gerudo."

"Hmm, that's nice. Now, are we going to do this or what? I don't think I have much time left before I'm out for the night."

"How appealing," she replied sarcastically while rolling her eyes. "Can I at least know your name first?"

The man hiccupped and sat quietly for a moment. Because of his current state, it took him nearly a minute before he could even remember his name. "A- Astralose."  
"So be it Astralose. Draw the curtains." The man stood up, approached the window and drew tight the curtains. No view of the room was available from outside.

Syrmia had been sleeping peacefully in her room in the Gerudo Fortress when there was a heavy-handed knock on her door. She stumbled out of her bed—narrowly missing her nightstand with her enormous stomach—and lurched towards the door. She was surprised to see two squat, elderly women when she opened her door. They hurried into the room without even asking permission and looked at Syrmia eagerly. "Excuse me. What is this about?" demanded the pregnant Gerudo.

"She doesn't know us Koume."

"No. She doesn't Kotake."

"So what do we do Koume?"

"Well, we came here to warn her. So I think that that is what we should do."

"Clearly." 

"Well if it's so clear, then why did you even ask?" 

"I asked because-."

"Excuse me," interrupted Syrmia. "Warn me about what?"

"You're pregnant." 

"Yes. I know that. What's the warning?"

"You're so impatient," the two women replied simultaneously. "But do you know who you're pregnant with?" asked the one apparently named Kotake.

"Umm…"

"She doesn't know." 

"Well, she wouldn't. Most people don't have the ability to see the future."

"Well, her lover did."

"Yes, but not her."

"So, we should tell her then."

"Yes." 

"That wasn't a question."

"Oh, forget it! You are pregnant with the future King of the Gerudo."

"The King?! What an honor! How do you know this?"

"We have seen it."

"And that's not all we've seen," interceded Koume.

"No. It isn't. There's another." 

"Another want?" asked Syrmia.

"Why, another baby of course. You have twins."

"Perfect! What an honor! The gods have truly blessed me!"

"Yes. They have. Your children will be very powerful. One will be a son. One will be a daughter. The son will take his attributes from you. He will have physical strength and a lust for power like no other. He shall rule not only the Gerudo, but all of Hyrule," stated Koume.

"And your daughter," interrupted Kotake. "She will take after her father. She will be powerful also, in many ways, even more so. Her magic will overshadow her father's, even ours. Her magic will be feared the world over."

"So how is this a warning? This is the greatest news I've received in ages!" exclaimed Syrmia. 

"Clearly, not everyone will be happy that two Gerudo will have such great power in the world. There are those that will want to stop it. There are those that will kill your baby while it's still in the womb."

"Who?"

"The Shiekah. We have foreseen it. They feel the presence of your children. Even now, they are planning a spell that will pierce through your womb and kill your children."

"Oh no! What can I do to stop them?" 

"There is only one way."

"Anything! I'll do anything!" screamed Syrmia frantically.

"You must give the children to us. Using our magic we can transfer the babies from your womb to ours. Koume will hold one of the babies and I will hold the other. With our magic, we can stop the Sheikah's attack from harming your children, but only if they are within our bodies." 

"That's truly the only way?" The old witches nodded. "So be it. It will be better to see my children alive and born by you then dead and born by me. How will it happen?"

"We will wait for you to sleep. The ritual will be painful. If you are awake when we do it, you will certainly die from the pain."

"So lie in bed. We will wait as you fall asleep," ordered Kotake. Syrmia lay down in her sturdy mattress. It was difficult to fall asleep due to the anticipation of what was to come, but after a few hours she finally drifted off to sleep. An hour later, the ritual was complete and Koume and Kotake each held one of the children in their wombs. They left the room quietly. As they left, Koume whispered to her sister, "Do you think we should have told her that when the Shiekah create their curse, she will perish without her children to take the brunt of it?"

"No. Of course not. She might not have agreed then. These children are necessary for the world. They will shape the course of history for decades to come."

"Haha! How do you like that Nylania? Does that feel good?" A young Gerudo boy laughed hysterically as he crushed a young Gerudo girl's face into the sand. The girl's feet kicked violently, but no matter how hard she fought back, she could not fight off her attacker.

Suddenly, an elderly women ran up beside them and screamed, "Get off your sister Ganondorf! Get off her! How many times have I told you not to treat her like that?! You are to be a king. And you will need your sister when that time comes."

"Who needs her? She's worthless. She's weak. And I haven't seen one bit of magic out of her yet. And yet all I hear you blabber on about is how magical she is."

"Her time will come. But for now, you need to let her be."

"All right Mom! I curse you sometimes! Can I go to the Spirit Temple now? I want to try and fight the Hylian that you just turned into an Iron Knuckle."

"Go then! And don't let me see you lay one hand on your sister again." When the ten year old boy ran off into the desert, the old woman turned to the girl. "Are you all right Nylania?"

The girl nodded despite the tears streaming down her cheeks.

"Honestly. We know your abilities. You know your abilities. Why don't you use them next time he attacks you?"

"I'm never going to use them! I don't want to! I don't want to attack Hyrule! I don't want to help Ganondorf slay innocent people!"

"But they're not innocent. When will you see this you confounded girl?!" shouted the witch, quickly losing her temper. "The Hylians have forced us to suffer in this desert for centuries while they live in the lap of the luxury. Why should they be so fortunate? Your brother is going to even things out for us. It will be the age of the Gerudo. And you will help him."

"No!" Nylania stood up and ran off into the distance.

Another elderly woman approached the first. "What was that about Koume?"

"Ganondorf was attacking Nylania again."

"I was thinking earlier, and I believe I might have a solution to this problem."

"And what is that?"

"You know where her father is?"

"Of course. I've seen it in my visions, just as you have."

"And you know who he is?"

"He's a Hylian."

"Yes. But he's not just any Hylian. He's probably the most powerful Hylian wizard to ever be born into this world."

"Of course. I knew that. So you suggest we send his daughter to him?" 

"Yes. He can take care of her. And he might be able to connect with her and get her to realize how important it is for her to learn the ways of magic."

"And then we won't have to worry about Ganondorf killing her in her sleep."

"Ah, you've sensed it too."

"How could I not? It's on his mind nearly all day, every day."

"So it's decided then. We cannot afford to keep Nylania here. We will send her to her father."

"And what if he does not accept her?"

"We'll make him."

"Then it truly is decided. Tell her to get ready for her trip to the Lost Temple."

Ganondorf awoke from his brief fit of daydreams groggily. Lately, dreams of the past had been popping up in his mind at all hours of the day without warning. He looked around at his army proudly. Soon they would be ready to attack Hyrule. During his scan, he saw the balcony that led to the rear entrance of the chamber that held his army. He was startled to see a young boy in green standing upon it, looking directly down at him. And it was not any young boy in green; it was the Hero of Time. Ganondorf could not help but smile. He had his greatest adversary in his grasp at last. There would be no escape.


	21. Chapter 21

Chapter Twenty-One: A Seizure Underground

The King of Evil seized his father's arm and pointed him in the direction of the Hero of Time. The similarities between his smile and his son's were proof enough that they were related. "Seize the boy!" commanded Astralose. A mass of Bokoblins rushed up the stairs toward the startled Hero of Time. 

Link did not even have time to run back into the passageway he had come from before he was surrounded by the enemy. He unsheathed the mythical Master Sword and grabbed the shield Zelda had given him off of his back. He intended to force his way through the enemy and out of the underground chamber. He slammed his shield sideways into his nearest adversary while piercing the jugular of another one with his blade. The two Bokoblins fell to the ground, one dead and one unconscious.

This was the enemies' cue to attack. They drew their rusted scimitars and bore down upon Link. However, if the Hero of Time was good at anything, it was holding his ground. He planted his feet and unleashed a powerful spin attack. His sword—encompassed in magical blue flames—cut through the Bokoblins like butter. Nearly half of his enemies were dead from that first attack alone. As the rest readied themselves to avenge their comrades' deaths, Link prepared to let loose another spin attack.

Meanwhile, on their raised platform, Astralose turned to his son and said, "I swear, you're soldiers are worthless."

"Only because they face the Master Sword. They're more than ready to face the knights of Hyrule. I'll go up there and seize the Master Sword and the boy."

"No! Forget it! There is no need to go up there. I will take care of the boy." Astralose lifted his hands as if he were about to embrace the air before him. Between his withered palms a black energy ball that's surface shined like a smoothed pearl appeared. The sphere grew until its diameter was greater than the head of a Moblin. It was then that Astralose released it. It shot forward through the Bokoblins that were attacking Link and struck the Hero of Time in the back. He collapsed instantaneously.

He awoke a half an hour later unarmed and unbound. He looked about and saw that he was on the platform with Ganondorf and Astralose. Surrounding the dais at ground level was Ganondorf's vile army. "Ah good. You are awake," began Astralose.

"Where is the Master Sword?" demanded Link.

The old man chuckled. "Where you left it of course. Neither I, nor anyone else, want to feel the pain that comes from touching that blade. But don't worry yourself about unimportant things such as that. Worry yourself about what is most imminent: your death. You have meddled in mine and my son's affairs for long enough. I intend to put a stop to that here and now."

"Wait," interceded Ganondorf.

"For what?"

"I want to tell him our plan."

"Why in the world would you want to do that?"

"I want the last image in his head before we toss him into the river of lava to be of Hyrule completely destroyed. I want him to know just how we're going to destroy his beloved land, crush its buildings, and kill its people. I want him to know just how the undying reign of Ganondorf will begin.."

"So be it. He has no chance of escape. He is completely surrounded, unarmed, and helpless. And I can't lie to myself. I will enjoy seeing his face as he learns what is to come of his homeland."

"Well then, should I bring our key to victory out?" asked Ganondorf.

"Yes. He's already seen our army. He obviously knows that we plan on using it to attack Hyrule. But he doesn't know the true beauty of our plan. An army can only do so much. And our army is not big enough to keep the peoples of Hyrule from revolting against us. That is what our key to victory is for. With this, the peoples of Hyrule will be imprisoned for all time. Don't you want to know what it is my fine young lad," taunted Astralose. When Link did not reply, he continued. "Regardless of your lack of a proper response, I know that you do. So I will tell you. I like to call it the Twilight."

"The Twilight," repeated Ganondorf, licking his lips hungrily. "With this, I will reign supreme for all eternity."

"Now, you might be wondering what is this Twilight exactly. Well, to be entirely honest, I'm not the one to ask. My son will retrieve the one that is the right one to ask for us." Ganondorf descended from the platform and disappeared into the crowd. Two minutes of Astralose staring into Link's eyes quietly passed before Ganondorf returned. He had a being shrouded in a grey cloak in tow. He pulled the hood off of the being's head, revealing its face. Astralose cleared his throat and said, "May I present my daughter, the Twilight Princess."


	22. Chapter 22

Chapter Twenty-Two: The Foundation

"You are wise to bring her to me. I will put some sense into her."

Two old women, with a young girl between them, simultaneously responded, "We hope so." One of the ancient women continued talking. "She means everything to our people. It is vital that she realize her full potential. Are you sure you can do this Astralose?"

The middle-aged man chuckled to himself. "If I can't, then no one can. But I must say, I never would have thought that I had a daughter. And one with such tremendous potential. You can come in now Nylania. We will begin your training immediately. I'll take good care of her," he continued as he turned back towards the old women. His daughter walked through the trees towards a decrepit structure that stood fifty feet away. "You needn't worry about her. When she has realized her abilities, I will send her back to you two. You can then do with her what you will. But for now, she is mine."

"Yes," they replied. "Well, good day Astralose. And good luck. We'll be watching you from our homeland. Come Kotake. We must hurry." The two petite witches turned, grabbed their grimy broomsticks, and flew off into the sky. Meanwhile, Astralose turned and followed his daughter.

"What is this building?" she asked when her father stood alongside of her.

"It is the Lost Temple. It has stood here since well before my time and will continue to stand here well after. I've been living here ever since I left Hyrule not long after you were conceived. I was on my way to Holodrum when I came across this place. I spent one night here and I haven't been able to leave for any significant length of time since. Now come along. Standing on the threshold of my home isn't going to do you any good. We have much to do. Go on." He pushed the young girl forward into the temple and then followed her in.

They descended countless steps before entering a huge chamber with a river of magma flowing through it. They crossed the stream by using a nearby stone bridge, went across the rest of the room, and entered a small side chamber. "Sit down," said the magician, offering a nearby wooden chair. The girl followed the order without hesitation. "Now, let's see some of your magic." Nylania did nothing in response. "Come on. Don't be shy. I can sense my abilities flowing through your veins. You have power Nylania. Never be afraid to use it."

She still did not reply. "Why won't you use your abilities? Honestly. You can trust me. I'm not going to hurt you," he said with a warm and welcoming smile. "I want to know why you refuse to use magic. I'm sure that you must have a good reason."

She gulped twice before finally speaking. "My mothers want me to do terrible things with my magic. They want me to kill innocent people. I don't want to though. I refuse to. I just can't!"

"Foolish child. What is it about children? They can never see the full picture. Don't you realize what you can do if you hone your magic? You can become more powerful than those wicked witches. They won't be able to make you do anything. You can use your magic for whatever you want, even good. Neither of them is your real mother anyway, so you don't have to do what they say. So do you see now? Don't deprive yourself of the endless possibilities that lie before you just because you're scared of your mothers." 

Ideas began to fill the young girl's head. These ideas mainly involved trekking across the world, using her abilities to help everyone in need that she came across. It sounded fabulous to the youthful Nylania. "Okay Father. I want to learn."

"Haha! Thank the Gods! I will teach you everything I know. Let me tell you Nylania. You will be the greatest witch this world has ever seen. We will begin your training tomorrow at dawn. For now, you will sleep. There are blankets in the corner. Use them as you see fit. Goodnight my daughter." He kissed her on the forehead and left her alone in the room with nothing but visions of the future and all of the greatnesses she could achieve.


	23. Chapter 23

Chapter Twenty-Three: A Presence Revealed

"You must not be afraid to do whatever it takes to expand your power. Do you understand me Nylania?"

"Yes Father."

"Good. You're thirteen now. I'm not going to treat you like a child anymore. You should be strong enough to withstand my attacks. Now let's try it again." Astralose raised his hands towards his daughter and released two beams of yellow energy that sizzled and erupted like the plasma on the surface of the sun. Just as it appeared it would hit the girl with ease, Nylania swept her hands outward and an invisible force deflected the attack. The walls of the tiny room shook and a few small chunks of stone broke away from the ceiling, nearly striking Astralose in the head during their descent. "Good! Now attack me! Do it! Don't be scared of hurting me. Focus your abilities. Free your mind of all thoughts except the knowledge that you can defeat me. Do it now!" 

Nylania's face quivered and her eyes closed. She balled her hands into tightly clenched fists, causing her already pale white skin to become even milkier. She threw her fists outwards towards her father, unleashing two streams of bright orange fire. Astralose created an opaque force field to protect his body from the flames. As the fire hit the shield, it continued to grow in intensity. Soon Astralose's shield began to turn bright red. A large crack developed in the middle of it. The barrier began to shudder violently. Astralose managed to duck just as the shield shattered into miniscule shards and the flames flew forward at their full force.

They hit the wall behind the crouched man, melting two asymmetrical holes into the walls before Nylania could end her attack. "Amazing!" gasped Astralose as he stood up. "Truly amazing! Never before has an attack managed to break through my defenses. I no longer have any doubts in your abilities my daughter. We will stop here for now and let you rest. You may go and do what you please."

"But Father, do we have to stop? It's so boring when we're not training. There's nothing to do here." 

"Go outside and explore the forest."

"I've been exploring the forest for the last three years. You can only explore endless rows of trees for so long before it becomes boring." 

"Then explore the temple."

"I've already seen all there is to see of that too."

"Nonsense!" scoffed Astralose. "I've lived in this temple for over twelve years and I still find new chambers in it all the time. You just have to look harder."

"All right Father. I'll do it, but I doubt I'll find anything." She turned to leave, but Astralose stopped her.

"Wait! What are you to always tell me before you leave?"

"Oh, I'm sorry. I love you," she said as she walked up to her father.

"I love you too," he said as he kissed her forehead lovingly. "Now be off." Nylania spun around and disappeared from the room. She proceeded into the underground chamber that would hold the largest army ever seen in the world twenty-two years into the future. She began to walk alongside of the lava river that ran down the room's center just as she had done on numerous occasions in the past.

The lava stream continued for many miles. Nylania knew that after another half mile the river would make one wide loop around an ancient stone pillar, pass under an eroded archway, and then leap down a massive cliff as a stunning lavafall. It had been almost three months since she had last walked all the way down to the lavafall. She had never been able to get down to its base because every part of the cliff it went down had lava flowing over it, making it impossible to climb down the rock face. However, Nylania had finally learned a flying spell from her father the month before, after what had seemed like ages of study.

This spell allowed her to hover above the ground as long as she could concentrate on the spell and the spell alone. She approached the lavafall cautiously. She gazed down the two hundred foot drop and prepared to cast her enchantment. She closed her eyes and moments later her feet began to lift from the ground. She kept her eyes closed until her feet had risen up to three feet above the floor. That is when she decided to open her eyes.

She directed herself with a wave of her hand over the edge of the precipice. As she slowly began to float downward, she noticed that the lava river emptied into a massive lake of lava only a quarter-mile away. She descended until she was low enough to float over to the nearest patch of lava-free ground. Once both feet were on the ground, she was free to look back towards the lavafall. She admired its vibrant mix of orange and red hues churning together in beautiful swirls of color. After a moment's viewing, she turned away from the beautiful sight and decided it was time to continue onward.

She soon noticed that the farther she walked, the darker it became. Soon the entire area had been blanketed in complete darkness, except for the nearby lava river and lake. A moment later though, Nylania realized that that was not the only source of light. Off to the left was a dim red glow. Curious, she decided to walk towards it. The radiance grew gradually brighter until she found herself only feet before the jagged walls of rock that enclosed the chamber.

She realized that the reddish glow was coming from a small tunnel at the base of the wall. The tunnel was large enough for her to crawl into, but it was much too small for her somewhat overweight father. She lay down on her belly and began to squirm her way into the tunnel like a snake returning to its underground nest. The passageway only stretched for ten feet before it emptied into a tiny cavity that was pitch-black except for one torch alongside of the entrance. Three of the walls were visible because of the torch, but the wall across from the entry was indiscernible.

As soon as Nylania stood up, she heard a deep, booming voice say, "This is my temple! It was built for me and I have inhabited it for seventeen centuries! Who are you to enter the Lost Temple and dwell within it?!" When she did not respond, the voice demanded, "Who are you?!"

"My name is Nylania. What's yours?" she asked, not knowing what else to say. 

"Come closer." Nylania took a few tentative steps forward and finally the thus far unseen wall came into focus. It was without any embellishment except for a mask that hung in its center. The mask was vividly colored with ruthless red and orange eyes as its main feature. It had two yellow spikes on its top and a series of multi-colored spikes running along its bottom. "I am Majora," said the mask.


	24. Chapter 24

Chapter Twenty-Four: What One Will Do for Power

"I recognize you. I knew you would come down here eventually. You're the one I've been looking for," said Majora.

"What do you mean?"

"I felt your presence when you entered my temple four years ago. I knew immediately that you were the only one that could help me."

"Help you with what?"

"I have been wrongly imprisoned here. Seventeen centuries ago, I was the chieftain of the most powerful tribe in the Forest of Gormoth. One of the other tribe members grew jealous of my power though. He attacked me one night with his enchanted sword. We battled for hours before I was attacked from behind by a group of men in my tribe. I was imprisoned within this mask and they built this temple to house me inside of it. For seventeen centuries, I have hung here, waiting for the one capable of freeing me."

"And that's me?"

"Yes." 

"Why me?"

"You are the only one yet to enter this temple that could wield the only power able to break through the charms that have me bound to this wall. Will you do it?" asked the mask hungrily.

"Well, it isn't fair for you to be trapped here when you didn't do anything wrong. So of course I'll free you. What do I do?"

"Lay your hands upon me. I need to infuse you with a part of my power. Then you will be able to break through the charms and release me." When the girl did not move, the mask snapped. "Hurry! I've been confined here for hundreds of years! I will not wait another second to be freed!"

For the first time, the naïve Nylania grew suspicious of the mask. Despite his anger, she still felt that he was telling the truth and deserved to be freed, so she approached Majora and slowly lifted her hands up to rest them on the mask's multi-colored, wood exterior. As she was about to place her hands upon the mask, it began to hiss. "Yes. Yes. Yes. Hurry. Take this ability I am giving you and use it to free me from this accursed temple." Just as the mask muttered "temple", the adolescent girl planted her hands over Majora's captivating eyes.

She felt a rush of warmth flash through her hands, down her arms, and into her chest. She began to shudder violently and her pale white skin began to glow red like freshly lit charcoal. The pain was too much to handle, so she tried to lift her hands away, but they were stuck to the mask even harder than a pair of iron boots is to a magnet. She lost consciousness thirty seconds into the transference. Not long after, the process was complete and she was free to sink to the floor, her hands no longer glued to Majora.

Majora waited until she began to stir to speak again. "I have given you my greatest power. Once you have freed me, I will take it back. But for now I need to teach you how to use it. All you will have to do is close your eyes and imagine darkness, a darkness so great that not even the brightest ray of light from the sun can pierce it. Imagine it leaving your body and spreading outward in a twirling whirlwind. The longer you can concentrate on just this darkness, the farther it will spread. I discovered this power when I was barely older than you are now, before I was chieftain of my tribe. I named it Gualxcere in our ancient tongue. This would translate to Twilight in today's speech. It is truly the greatest ability one can achieve in this world."

"What does the Twilight do exactly?" asked Nylania, finally able to stand up and speak again.

"How can I explain this so a child can understand? Well, this is the best way to describe it, I suppose. As the Twilight grows from your body, it absorbs the portions of the world that it passes over. Once the world is under the Twilight you have created, it no longer obeys the laws set forth by the gods when they created this world. The world within the Twilight is no longer in their dimension; it is in your own dimension. It will follow your laws and no one else's. In other words, you can do whatever you want while in the Twilight. All you have to do is think about it, and it will happen. The possibilities are limitless. Let me tell you what you're going to do with it though. You will think about the darkness I told you to think about for only twenty seconds. This will expand the Twilight enough to absorb me and this wall I am fixed to. You will then think very hard about dispelling the charms that have been placed over me that both hold me in place and keep me from using the Twilight myself, and then I will be freed."

"How do you get rid of the Twilight once you're done using it?"

"You don't. I never bothered to learn that ability. The only way the Twilight will recede is if the one that created it is weakened by another. Now, enough with the questions! Free me!"

"What are you going to do once you're free?"

"I said enough with the questions!" shouted Majora impatiently.

Taken aback, the girl said, "I was just wondering if when I free you you're going to help people with your powers, cause that's what I want to do with mine."

"Yes, of course I will," lied Majora. "Now free me!"

"For someone who says they plan to do good, you get angry an awful lot."

"You foolish, stupid girl! If you don't free me immediately…"

"Stop yelling at me! I had planned to help you, but now I'm not so sure. You sound like you want to hurt me."

"You have no idea! If you don't free me, you have no idea what I can and will do to you!"

"I'm sorry, but I can't help you. I suddenly feel that you're not being completely honest with me about yourself."

As she turned to leave, Majora screamed, "This is your final warning! If you leave now, if you do not free me, I will turn your life into the greatest nightmare you can ever imagine." Nylania ignored him and crawled out of the room through its only exit. "No! No! No! Don't leave! How dare you! How dare you steal my greatest power from me and leave me imprisoned here! I see your plan now! You came here to take it from me, didn't you?! Well, you will pay! You will pay! One day I will be freed from this temple and woe betide you and this entire world when I am freed! I shall destroy the world with one fell swoop! I shall consume all! You haven't seen the last of Majora, the most powerful being to ever walk this earth!" Suddenly the room became silent and Majora began to utter an enchantment. Because he had given Nylania a portion of his abilities, he could not directly harm her. But he had a plan still…

While Nylania was dealing with Majora, Astralose was taking a much-needed nap. Towards the end of his nap, a dream suddenly popped into his head as if summoned from some distant place. It showed a magnificent palace on top of a grassy hillside, overlooking all of Hyrule. The palace doors opened wide and within it stood a grand throne room. Astralose was shocked to see himself sitting on the most luxuriant throne he had ever seen, and sitting next to him was his daughter. He had an exquisite crown on top of his head and was laughing merrily. He had never seen himself happier. 

Suddenly darkness gathered outside. The throne room became dim and a booming voice resonated through the chamber. "With her newfound power, this can be yours. Use her. Force her to help you, and you can achieve your wildest dreams as King of Hyrule. She will be unwilling, but you can bend her to your will. This is your greatest opportunity." Astralose looked up and saw the moon through the great windows that lined the walls near the ceiling. It was clearly not a normal moon though. It had fierce red eyes and a gaping mouth, as if it wished to do nothing less than consume the entire world. "This is your greatest opportunity," the voice repeated. It quickly became clear that the voice was emerging from the moon itself. Astralose nodded and turned to his daughter.

She looked at him with a smile and said, "Yes Father. I want to help you. I really do. When you ask me to help you though, I'll say no. This isn't my fault; I can't help it. You can make me help you though. Do whatever it takes. Don't be afraid to hurt me. If you can do this, then all you see here will be yours." Astralose nodded once more and then he awoke.

Nylania hurried away from Majora's chamber as fast as her small feet could carry her. She floated back over the lavafall and then raced back to her father's room. She had expected him to be asleep, but was surprised to see him sitting upright, apparently waiting for her. "Where have you been? Did you find anything interesting?" he asked in a strangely hungry tone that disturbed Nylania. She had never heard him speak in that manner before.

"Yes actually. Just wait until I tell you about it."

"I already know," he interrupted. 

"How could you already-?"

"Silence! What is the new power you've learned?"

"I didn't learn a new power," whimpered Nylania. She was beginning to become very frightened of her father.

"Don't you dare lie to me! I know that you learned a new power! Now, you can either tell me what it is or you can face the consequences."

"Well, I met this-."

"I didn't say tell me how you came by the power. I want to know what it is, what it does. Tell me now!"

Not knowing what else to do, Nylania told Astralose all about the Twilight and what it could do. "Perfect," said Astralose with a wicked smile. "Then the dream wasn't a lie. With that power, I surely can take over all of Hyrule."

"What? No. You can't. That's why I refused to help my mothers. That's what they wanted me to do."

"And that is what you're going to do."

"But you told me I wouldn't have to. You told me I could do anything I wanted. I wanted to help people. I wanted to be good," she cried.

"I don't care what I told you before. Circumstances change and I now need you to help me. It is my soul's greatest desire. Will you help me?"

"I wasn't going to help my mothers and I refuse to help you!"

"Your mind will be changed. I know that it will. I saw it in my dream. I will do whatever it takes to make you help me, because I know that you will. You refuse now, but a few weeks in a pitch-black hole in the ground may change your mind." Astralose stood up violently, knocking over the chair he had been sitting in. He rushed over to his daughter and grabbed her forcefully by the arm. When she tried to resist, he lifted his left hand and backhanded her across the face. She immediately fell unconscious.

When she awoke, she was in darkness. She could not even see her own hand when she waved it inches in front of her face. She felt around and noticed that rock walls completely enclosed her; she was wedged into an only three-foot wide gap between these rock walls. "Father!" she screamed hysterically. She heard footsteps and saw a crack of light appear twenty feet above. A trapdoor was opened and she could see Astralose's head poke over the hole that had been hidden beneath it.

"Where am I?" she cried.

"I found a perfectly suitable hole for you. You will stay in here until you change your mind. Enjoy." He went to close the door, but a shriek from Nylania stopped him.

"Wait! Are you going to feed me?" 

"Why, of course. You're no use to me dead. You will get leftovers from one of my bountiful feasts once a day along with a flask of water. I'll throw your daily ration down to you later. I want you to get a little hungry first," he grinned spitefully. Without another word, he threw the trapdoor closed, leaving Nylania alone in the darkness once more.

"I'm not going to tolerate this," she mumbled as she stood up. "Not when I have the Twilight." As she was about to attempt to cast her spell for the first time though, a scary thought came to her. _What if I'm just playing into his hands by creating the Twilight? Maybe he knows more about it than I do. Maybe he'll steal it from me. No. I can't do it. I'll just have to wait this out. I'm sure this is only temporary. He's never been like this before. Why would he suddenly go mad like this? Maybe this is just a test. Yes! That's it! This is a test! He just wants to see how long I can last in a difficult situation such as this! I won't fail you Father. I'll last a long time. I knew he couldn't be mad. _

The trapdoor opened once again as Nylania sat quietly, anxiously awaiting her daily meal. She had finally grown used to being in her hole. She played many games to occupy her time. They usually involved multi-colored balls of fire that she would create and send spiraling into the air. She had also learned many new magical abilities during her time in the pit and finally felt that she had fulfilled her mothers' goal of turning her into the most powerful witch of all time. When her father's now gray-haired head appeared, she waited for him to toss her food down, but there was none coming.

"I no longer need you Nylania. You've been in here for twenty-three years. For twenty-three years you have ignored my request. Now, it is too late. I finally discovered your brother. Why didn't you, Koume, and Kotake tell me that I had a son? I honestly don't know. But he has come to me now. And he plans to take over Hyrule also and his plan is brilliant. A boy is about to open the path to the Sacred Realm; all he has to do is follow him in and then seize the Triforce. When he has done this, all of Hyrule will be ours. So, needless to say, you are now worthless. This is goodbye my daughter. You will not see me again. May your period of starvation not last too long." 

Nylania suddenly became desperate. She didn't want to die. She wanted to use the magic that she had spent so many years learning, not just throw it away. "Wait Father! I'll help you now! Please. Don't leave."

"Hmm. I don't know. Do I really need you now? That's the question." He stood still for a moment, pondering the issue. "I suppose it couldn't hurt to have the Twilight to aid us, just in case," he said finally. "Get me a rope!" he ordered to an unseen person. A moment later the end of a rope was placed in his hand. "You must promise to aid me. You will do whatever I tell you, and if I'm not present, you will do whatever Ganondorf tells you. Do you understand?"

"Yes. I promise."

"Good. Then grab a hold of this." He lowered the rope down quickly and pulled her up. His face cringed when he saw her. "Look at what twenty-three years has done to you." The young girl he had once known was now tall and lanky; her skin was now hideously pale from her years spent away from the sun. Her hair grew down past her kneecaps and was knotted and greasy. The only thing unchanged was her piercingly blue eyes. Otherwise, her appearance was closer to a vampire than a human.

Her eyes grew wide when she looked around and saw the largest mass of monsters she had ever seen. Astralose saw her shock and said, "How do you like my army? I've been building it up ever since I first put you into that hole. Ah, and I think you remember your brother."

The mighty, intimidating Gerudo that was Ganondorf approached purposefully and stared maliciously at his sister. "So I've heard that you are finally capable of doing something worthwhile." She did not reply. "You will stay here while me and Astralose go to the Temple of Time. If we should need you, we will come back. If not, then you'll have plenty of time to get to know my Moblins." He guffawed brutally.

"Shall we leave then Son?"

"Yes. It is time. Time for the end of Hyrule. That Kokiri boy is about to open the Door of Time. I can feel it. We must leave at once. Nothing can stop us now." Ganondorf turned and left.

Astralose turned to his daughter and said, "I'm glad you've finally come to your senses, but we probably won't need you anyway. If Ganondorf can seize the Triforce, Hyrule will be no match for him and we will reign supreme. If he should fail though, it's onto our second plan." 

"What's that?" she sighed.

"We will use our army to defeat Hyrule's and then use you to imprison all of Hyrule in Twilight, so we can do whatever we want within it. For now though, I must go with your brother. Good day Nylania."

"Good day," she said emotionlessly, not expecting to be needed since there wasn't a doubt in her mind that Ganondorf would be successful in taking the Triforce from the Sacred Realm. If only she had known about the Hero of Time and how he would put an end to Ganondorf's reign seven years into the future, she might have been a little more nervous about what she might have to do in the coming months. As it was, all she could think about was how much potential she had had to do great things and how Majora and Astralose had ruined her for eternity. All that she had now was Twilight and there was nothing she hated more in the world.


	25. Chapter 25

Chapter Twenty-Five: The Rebellious Fairy

Ever since the morning that Link had left for the Lost Temple, Navi had done nothing except sit perched atop the window sill in one of the huts of Astralose's village. All she could think about was the Lost Temple. There was some power in the temple that was constantly drawing her to it. She could not understand what that power was, but she knew it was powerful. She also knew that she could not ignore it for long. That was why she slowly began to contemplate breaking her promise to Link.

_That promise wasn't fair_, she thought. _It wasn't fair at all. And I'm not going to keep an unfair promise. Besides, what's the harm in going to the temple? I'm not hurting anyone. I just want to have one comfortable night's sleep there and then I'll leave. That's all. It's not as if I'm going to live there. Just one night. And anyway, Link does too need my help_, she decided in an attempt to justify breaking the promise she had made. _Of course he does. He always does. He always needs my help. Yes. I think I'll go to the temple now. Only to help him. That's all. And then I'll rest there for a little of course, but that's all._ She fluttered up from her perch, flew out the window, and glided off in the direction of the Lost Temple.

"The Twilight Princess," repeated Link, staring into the eyes of the now uncloaked woman. He was still standing on the platform with Ganondorf, Astralose, and the newly revealed Twilight Princess and was still surrounded by their evil army.

"Do you like that name?" asked Astralose. "I came up with it just now. It fits, doesn't it Son?"

"Hmm, yes. I suppose. Although she's hardly a princess. More like a mangy rat," he quipped.

"With her ability, we will cover Hyrule in an eternal Twilight, in which we can do whatever we please, all thanks to the powers of my daughter." Link did not reply, but Astralose did not wait for long. "Well then, it is time my fine young lad. Time for you to say goodbye to this world. Into the lava river he shall go." A Moblin clambered up onto the platform and grabbed Link from behind. Suddenly a man ran up to the edge of the dais with something indiscernible in his hand. 

"Sir," said the man.

"What is it?" asked Astralose.

"One of our men in the barracks below the lavafall found this in a hidden chamber."

"And what is it?" snapped Astralose, quickly becoming impatient.

"It's a mask."

"Why should I care about a mask?"

"I don't know sir, but you said if anything strange was found in the underground, we should bring it to you, so that's what I'm doing."

"Well, let's see it." The man set the mask down on the wood flooring of the platform. Nobody seemed to think anything of it except Link and the Twilight Princess. They both gasped and simultaneously said, "Majora."

Suddenly the woman whose purpose was to aid in the conquering of Hyrule began to shriek. "What have you done?! You have released him! He will destroy us all! He will destroy the world!"

"Silence Nylania!" snapped her father. "It's nothing more than a mask. How can a mask destroy the world? It's not a person. It's just a mask."

"You don't understand!" cried Nylania. "It isn't just a mask! The soul of an evil magician is imprisoned within that mask!"

"The Happy Mask Salesman," muttered Link inaudibly.

"What was that?" questioned Astralose. 

"The Happy Mask Salesman. He must have brought the mask here. So this must be where he found it. In this temple. I guess he decided it was time to return it to where it belongs."

"What are you talking about?!" demanded Astralose.

"It's all right, Nylania. That's your name?" She nodded. "This mask was freed months ago, but I defeated it in Termina. It has no power anymore. The soul of Majora no longer inhabits it. There's nothing at all to fear."

Nylania refused to believe him though; instead, she bolted off of the platform and disappeared into the ranks of the monsters. "Let her go!" ordered Astralose when a group of Bokoblins tried to stop her. "Whatever that mask is, it has no value now. Just leave it where it is. We will toss it into the lava river later. For now, the boy is to die. Carry him to the edge," he ordered of the Moblin that still had a hold of the Hero of Time. 

Link was quickly carried to the banks of the lava river; the heat was almost intense enough to scorch his clothes, even from ten feet away. Astralose followed them to the spot where the execution would take place. "Any final words boy?"

"You won't get away with what you plan to do. Hyrule will never stay conquered. One day, you and your son will be defeated." Ganondorf laughed harshly, but Astralose did not reply.

Without warning, Nylania approached the lava river from behind her father. "What are you doing back so soon?" he asked of his daughter, turning away from Link.

"He must be telling the truth or Majora would have already killed us all."

"Glad to see you have come to your senses. Did you come back to watch the boy's execution?" 

"No. I came back because I think it's best that I'm here in case he's wrong and Majora does attack. I have a plan for him if he does."

"Oblivious girl," groaned Astralose. "Stand back then. All you're doing is getting in the way of my view of the boy's death." Nylania took a few steps backward and turned to watch Majora's Mask. She could care less about the execution of the boy. All she wanted was to make sure that Majora could not surprise them with an attack. "It is finally time then," said Astralose. "Kill him." The Moblin lifted Link into the air and prepared to throw him into the raging magma that stood only feet away.

Navi had been floating about her beloved temple for the past five minutes—shaking all over with glee—when she came into a room with a staircase that seemed to go down forever. Curious, she decided to fly down it and see whatever there was to see at its bottom. She fluttered down for what seemed an eternity before reaching a long passageway that led into a faraway room with a reddish light emerging from it. She hurried along the corridor before her until she came onto a balcony. From the balcony, she saw a horrible sight: an army of evil fiends was spread as far as her unrivaled eyes could see. And in the middle was a platform with Astralose, Ganondorf, a strange woman, and Link standing upon it. 

She watched quietly as a Moblin seized Link and then a man rushed up to the side of the platform. "What do I do?" she whispered to herself. "They're going to kill him, but what can I do to help him? I just don't know." She was shocked when the man set something on the platform that was clearly Majora's Mask. She observed as the unknown woman panicked and ran off. Not long after, Link was carried off of the platform and to the edge of a nearby boiling river of lava.

"Oh no. I have to do something, and quick." She looked around desperately and saw the Master Sword lying on the balcony, only feet away. "As if that's going to help at all," she sighed. "I can't wield it." But as she looked back at all that was happening before her—Nylania had just returned to her father's side and Astralose was now in conversation with her—, she began to formulate a plan. "Well, if this doesn't work, then nothing will. I'm coming Link." She floated over the edge of the balcony and prepared to initiate an undertaking that she saw as the only possible way to save her best friend.


	26. Chapter 26

Chapter Twenty-Six: An Attempted Rescue

Navi fluttered down to the ground and began to hover towards the platform three hundred feet away. She made sure to stay as low to the ground as possible, so none of Ganondorf and Astralose's minions would see her. After she passed over one exceptionally large Moblin's foot, she found herself alongside of the platform. She floated up and came to a rest beside Majora's Mask, which was still sitting where it had originally been placed. She needed to get to the mask's backside, but the way it was sitting prevented this. That is why she pushed it just enough so that it was halfway over the edge of the platform and she could fly up inside of it.

She found two rough spots on the inside of the mask that she could use to grab. After her miniscule hands were clutching the mask's interior, she flew upward. The mask was surprisingly light and she was able to pick it up easily. She lifted the mask until she was twenty feet into the air and then used what little bit of fairy magic she could perform to send out sparks in all directions. She knew that she had been successful when she heard a piercing scream from below.

Link saw Majora's Mask rise into the air just as he was about to be tossed to his death. At first, he thought he might have been wrong about Majora's power having been vanquished, but when he saw the sparks discharge from behind it, he knew it was only Navi. He could recognize those sparks anytime; he had had them falling in front of his face during his entire adventure through Hyrule.

He heard Nylania scream. The Moblin that was supposed to be his executioner turned around to see what the commotion was. "I will stop you Majora!" shrieked Nylania. "I will release the Twilight!"

"No! You foolish girl!" shouted Astralose. "Don't use it yet!"

"I have to stop him! He'll kill us all!" She quickly closed her eyes. A moment later wisps of darkness emerged from her arms and legs and began to wrap themselves around her body. It only took a few seconds for her to become completely wreathed in the pitch-black Twilight. Her body disappeared within it, but the Twilight continued to expand rapidly. Astralose attempted to escape but he could not break through the Moblins around him that were trying to do the same thing. He was quickly enveloped within the Twilight, along with Ganondorf. Just before the Twilight reached Link, he watched as Navi and Majora's Mask were captured. A wave of blackness passed over his vision and he felt the Moblin's hands pull away.

The Hero of Time fell to his hands and knees in pain as he felt his body ripple from the inside out with a powerful energy. The anguish soon dissipated though, and Link found himself staring at a hairy, white paw. When he tried to gasp in surprise, he was shocked to hear a growl come out of his mouth. It was then that he noticed his pointed snout. He looked around and saw his gray-haired body and tail. _What have I become?_ he wondered. However, the question was quickly driven out of his mind when he looked around and saw that everyone caught by the Twilight had been changed.

It seemed that all of Astralose and Ganondorf's minions had been transformed into strange beasts that Link had never seen before. He could see two types. The first type was two-legged but used its arms to walk around so that it appeared four-legged. It had dark gray skin covered with strange black markings. It also had an oddly shaped helmet, long masses of black hair that were clumped together like dreadlocks, and pink runes upon its back. The second type flew through the air. It had two giant wings, small talons, and a long tail that resembled a snake. Its skin was the same color and texture as the first type of monster. Instead of a face, the beast's head opened up into a large pink orb that shone brilliantly in the yellowish haze that blanketed the Twilight Realm.

Link then noticed the largest wild boar he had ever seen. And sitting on the wild boar's back was a devious-looking falcon. After taking all of this in, Link realized that both Navi and Majora's Mask were missing. He raced over to the spot where they had been hovering in the air and was surprised to see Navi—with only a slightly altered body—floating above a strange imp-like creature that Link had never seen before. The creature was extremely short with black and gray skin and it had similar markings to the ones that were on the other creatures skin. It was also wearing a strangely shaped helmet that appeared broken in two. 

"Foolish girl," hissed the imp in a feminine voice. "With the Twilight you transformed my imprisoned soul into a living, breathing being. Now you will pay for stealing the power of the Twilight away from me and leaving me to rot in that accursed room!" The imp began to move towards Nylania, who was the only one unchanged by the Twilight. It was then that Link realized the mysterious imp was actually Majora reincarnated. Not knowing what else to do Link charged the evil being and head butted it. The extraordinarily light creature did not see this coming attack and was hit so hard that it flew through the air. It flew twenty feet before it suddenly disappeared.

Link raced after it and was surprised when he suddenly emerged from the Twilight and transformed back into his normal self. Lying ten feet in front of him was Majora's Mask; it was dormant once more. Before he could react to this, Navi fluttered out of the Twilight behind him. "Hurry Link! Now's our chance to escape!"

"Wait. I think we should take the mask with us. It's obvious Majora wants revenge on the Twilight Princess; we may be able to use it to defeat her, Ganondorf, and Astralose." 

"Sure. That sounds like it might work," replied Navi as Link picked up the mask and ran towards the staircase that would lead them out of the huge chamber. They raced up the stairs, down the hallway, and then up the long flight of steps that would take them back up to ground level. Once they were on the surface once more, Link hurried to the nearest exit from the Lost Temple. Just as he was about to pass through it though, Navi stopped. "Why do we have to leave?" she asked. "Why can't we just hide here?"

"No Navi. You're not doing this now. Get a hold of yourself. We have to leave."

"What am I doing that's so wrong? I just think that it would be best if we hid here…"

"We don't have time for this," sighed Link. Not waiting another moment, he hurried up to Navi, grabbed her from behind (he remembered the last time he had left the Lost Temple with her and she had bit him, which is why he was extra careful to miss her tiny but razor-like teeth), and carried her out of the Temple. He waited until they were over three hundred feet from the ruined temple before he released her. "How do you feel now?" he asked.

"I don't know. I wish we could go back that's all, but I guess we should keep moving."

"Great. You've finally come to your senses. Now let's hurry to Hyrule. I don't think Ganondorf and Astralose are going to just stand around now that we've escaped." So he turned his back on the Lost Temple and hurried towards Hyrule, his hand still clutching Majora's Mask tightly.


	27. Chapter 27

Chapter Twenty-Seven: The Unpredictable Twilight

Nylania did not see Link's escape or the disappearance of Majora. Her eyes were still shut tight, slowly expanding the Twilight. This continued for a few more seconds before she was suddenly interrupted by a huge mass striking her in the side, knocking her over and breaking her concentration. With that, the Twilight Realm stopped growing. She looked up to see that it was an enormous, vicious-looking boar that had struck her. It was then that she noticed everyone's appearance had changed except for hers. Puzzled by this, she stood up and began to look for Majora. When she did not see him, she breathed a sigh of relief and exited the Twilight.

The boar rushed after her and immediately transformed into Ganondorf when it too had passed out of Nylania's self-induced dimension. A moment later, what had once been a silver falcon was now her father. Their evil army soon followed, immediately reverting to their normal, hideous selves. "Why in the name of Din would you do that?!" shouted Ganondorf.

"I had to stop Majora."

"What is this Majora nonsense? And what does that have to do with turning me into a pig?!"

"I didn't mean to change you or your soldiers. I meant to-."

"Who did you mean to change then?" demanded Astralose.

"Majora. I wanted to change him to weaken him. I changed him into a little girl. I thought- I thought if he was a young girl he wouldn't be able to hurt us."

"You haven't yet mastered your abilities then. I saw an imp-like girl when I was in the Twilight. That must have been what you changed the mask into. Your thoughts were impure, so you weren't successful in changing the mask into a little girl; instead, you changed it into a twisted demon. Now the question is, where did this demon go?"

"The boy!" shouted Ganondorf suddenly. "He has escaped!"

"Clearly," muttered Astralose.

"We must pursue him."

"Not quite yet. We need to talk with Nylania for a bit. You will catch the boy. You have a steed and he isn't that fast. We have time to discuss this for a little bit. So my daughter, when you were summoning the Twilight you attempted to focus your power towards altering Majora's shape?"

"Yes."

"You somewhat succeeded in that, but you were unable to limit this desire and unintentionally transformed everybody within the Twilight." 

"I know. I think I can stop that from happening though in the future."

"No. Don't. We can use this. In fact, we will use this. I want you, whenever you summon the Twilight, to do exactly what you did there. It will be useful to imprison the Hylians in animal form. And I must admit that flying—and I mean truly flying, not floating as a spell can do for me—has always been a desire of mine, and as a falcon, I can achieve this. So do you understand what I want you to do Nylania?"

She nodded. "Good. You can go then." She left and Astralose turned towards his son. "I believe that the boy has taken Majora's Mask because the imp is now nowhere to be found. When you kill him, it would be wise for you to capture it back and bring it to me."

"Yes. I will. Can I leave now?" he asked, licking his lips eagerly. 

"Yes. Go. And don't let him escape!" So Ganondorf turned away from his father and the pulsing black mass of Twilight that still stood in the middle of the room and ran after the Hero of Time.

Link and Navi were only two miles from the Lost Temple when the sound of a horse's galloping hooves came to their ears. Having picked up the Master Sword on their way out of the temple, Link was finally prepared to face Ganondorf. "Navi, you have to keep going. Get to Hyrule and warn them about the coming attack."

"What are you going to do Link?"

"It's time to put a stop to Ganondorf once and for all. Now hurry Navi! And take Majora's Mask." He handed the mask to her and she flew away just as Ganondorf came charging around the corner atop a fearsome bronco that was as black as the night. The charger came to a sudden stop when it saw Link, spewing milky foam from its frothy mouth. Ganondorf dismounted and took three steps forward. Neither he nor the Hero of Time had withdrawn their blades yet.

"So we're alone at last," grunted the King of Evil.

"Yes. Your end is finally here Ganondorf."

"How is that? All I see is a puny little boy."

Link withdrew the Master Sword. "This will be your bane."

Ganondorf laughed stridently. "That sword means nothing when its wielder does not possess the Triforce of Courage."

Puzzled, Link could not help but ask, "What do you mean? I have the Triforce of Courage."

"Ah, but that is the beauty of it. You actually don't. You did, but you no longer do. You forsook Hyrule for the land of Termina. Thus, the gods took it away from you. It has now been split asunder to be used by another in the future. You are worthless without it. And that sword you wield is worthless without it."

Link refused to believe what the King of Evil was saying, but there was a fraction of his mind that actually believed it; this was enough to cause just the tiniest bit of fear to creep into his heart, which only made him believe in Ganondorf's statement even more since this had never happened to him before. "No!" he shouted. "It isn't true. It can't be." 

Ganondorf chuckled, seemingly enjoying himself. "It's quite humorous listening to the wavering of your voice. If you don't believe that it's true, there should be nothing to stop you from killing me. So let our duel begin!" He reached behind his back with both of his hands and pulled a six-foot long blade upward. It radiated with a purple glow, had a massive hilt, and appeared sharp enough to slice through something as thick as the Door of Time. He slung the blade over his shoulder in order to carry it in front of him and then he began to slowly approach the Hero of Time.

Link shook the doubt from his mind and charged the villainous Gerudo at full speed with the Master Sword held bravely before him. Before he could clash with the towering Gerudo, Ganondorf planted his foot into Link's chest and threw him backwards to the ground. "You are nothing without the Triforce of Courage boy. Nothing!" He lifted his sword and thrust it towards Link's abdomen.

He rolled out of the way, causing Ganondorf to miss and stick his sword two feet into the rocky ground. Link took this opportunity to swipe at Ganondorf with the Master Sword. His enemy was forced to release his sword and step back from the attack. While trying to bring his sword around for a second swing, Link was surprised when Ganondorf's green-skinned fist came up and struck him in the jaw. He flew back in pain, nearly impaling himself with the Master Sword when he hit the ground. It took a moment for him to shake off the feeling that he had a broken jaw, but he stood up nevertheless.

The King of Evil had already removed his blade from the ground and was bearing down on Link once again. He swung full force at Link's head. The Hero of Time lifted the Master Sword to block the attack but Ganondorf was so strong that his attack pushed Link's defense aside effortlessly, forcing him to duck out of the way to avoid having his head cloven in two. Link came back and thrust towards his foe's chest. Ganondorf sidestepped the attack easily and then came back at Link with a quick jab with his left palm.

Link fell backward into a tree and Ganondorf laughed. "It is over hero," he scorned. "You are now weak without your precious Triforce of Courage. You should have never challenged me. You should have remained in your hovel in the forest and enjoyed your pathetic excuse for a life." Without warning, he kicked Link in the face, bringing a gush of blood from his nose. Link swiped with his sword, but he was so weak at that point that even though it hit Ganondorf's leg, it could not even pierce his pants. With a guffaw, the Gerudo King kicked the Master Sword out of Link's hand. It landed on top of Majora's Mask with a thud. "Prepare to die foolish boy." Ganondorf raised his sword and got ready to strike the non-protesting Link with it.

Suddenly, Ganondorf felt jagged claws swipe at his hands. The shock of this caused him to drop his weapon. He saw a flurry of wings and next thing he knew the boy he wanted to kill more than anything else in the world was being lifted into the air by a giant owl. The owl lowered him down fifteen feet away just long enough for him to grab the Master Sword and Majora's Mask. A moment later, they were gone. "Curse you Link!" shrieked Ganondorf as the Hero of Time disappeared from sight. He turned back towards the Lost Temple and decided that it was time for the War for Hyrule to begin.


	28. Chapter 28

Chapter Twenty-Eight: A Grave Predicament

"You came in the nick of time Kaepora," said Link as they flew over the edge of a small precipice.

"Yes I did. You can thank Navi for that. She saw me flying near here and told me of your fight with the King of Evil. She thought that you might need my help, and she was right."

"So…"

"No Link. We will talk more when we're safely on the ground. Until then, I want you to think about any questions you want to ask me. We won't have much time to talk once we do land."

"All right." Link closed his eyes—growing somewhat dizzy from the gigantic owl's erratic flight pattern—and thought about all that Ganondorf had said and how it seemed to be true when he was able to defeat him with hardly any difficulty at all. Ten minutes later, he opened his eyes as he felt his feet touch ground. He saw that he was now on the edge of the massive desert that lay between the Forest of Gormoth and Hyrule. Floating in front of him was Navi.

"Oh Link. I'm so relieved. I was worried sick about you. What happened?"

"Other than the fact that I couldn't even hurt Ganondorf in the slightest, nothing at all," he sighed.

"Why couldn't you hurt him at all?" she inquired.

"Apparently, and this is just what he says, I no longer have the Triforce of Courage. And from the way I felt during that battle, I would have to agree with him."

"So now you know," muttered Kaepora Gaebora.

"Know what?"

"That the gods took away the Triforce of Courage from you. You shouldn't have left Hyrule Link. Doing so angered the gods. You forsook their land for an alien nation. That is why they took it away from you. They were punishing you."

"Ganondorf said something about it splitting up into pieces."

"Yes, that's true. In order to prevent just anyone from gaining the third piece of the Triforce, the gods split it into pieces and hid these pieces throughout Hyrule."

"So I just need to find the pieces then."

"No Link. You can't."

"What do you mean I can't? I've found plenty of hidden things before."

"You don't understand. You will never bear the Triforce of Courage again. It has moved on. It has been hidden until the next person deemed worthy by the gods to wield it finds it."

"But why?"

"It is the gods' decision. It is not my purpose to meddle in their affairs; it is only my purpose to be their messenger. You no longer bear the Triforce of Courage Link. You will not be the one to defeat Ganondorf."

"But I still have the Master Sword! I can defeat him!"

"No Link. You can't. It was the Triforce of Courage that gave you the ability to match Ganondorf in battle. Without it, you will never be able to hold your own against him. He will always defeat you, because he will always hold the Triforce of Power."

"But he left Hyrule too! Why didn't the gods take away the Triforce of Power from him?"

"The same rules that apply to you do not apply to Ganondorf."

"What does that me-?" started Link before he was interrupted.

"It means that Ganondorf didn't abandon his duties, which is why he is not being punished by the gods. You did abandon your duties though Link. It was your duty to protect Hyrule for the rest of your life with the Triforce of Courage in your possession. But instead, you chose to leave Hyrule for the land of Termina . You abandoned your duties for your own needs. Ganondorf did not abandon his duties." 

"And what are his duties?"

"It is his duty to be the enemy."

"That doesn't make any sense," butted in Navi.

"Of course it does," replied the knowledgeable owl. "There has to be evil in this world; otherwise, there is no need for good. People need to be challenged by evil, to maintain their integrity, to keep them strong, and to make them the best that they can be. If life were easy, what would be the point of living it? Ganondorf is the gods' way of making sure that everyone in the world has their fair share of challenges; it is the gods' way of keeping the people in line and reminding them which is superior, their own personal needs or the deities above that created them." 

"So are you actually telling me that I can't defeat Ganondorf?"

"Yes Link. I am sorry. But there will be another. Another in the future who will reconnect the Triforce of Courage and defeat the King of Evil at last."

"But if I have the Master Sword, if I can strike him with it, one powerful blow with it will kill him, right?"

"Yes, but without the Triforce of Courage you will never be able to get through his defenses and deal the lethal blow."

"But I can train myself. I can become a better fighter. I know I can. I can defeat him!"

"No Link. You can't. No amount of training will put you at the same level as the bearer of the Triforce of Power. As I said before, I am sorry it had to come to this, but you are done. You are no longer Hyrule's savior."

"So what would you have me do? Return to Kokiri Forest and watch as Hyrule goes up in flames? You would have me sit idly by and watch the land I love be destroyed by Ganondorf and the Twilight?"

"You will not sit idly by. You still have a purpose Link."

His ears immediately perked up interestedly. "Oh really? And what is that?" 

"Unfortunately, I am not the one to tell it to you. But I know who is…"

"Who?"

"Now that the King of Evil has been released from the Sacred Realm, the Sages that sealed him within it have been reawakened. They are once again conscious of their abilities, and their duties. The one who will tell you what it is you have to do, what it is you can do, is the Seventh Sage, the Sage of Time. It is the princess, Zelda."

"Zelda. So Zelda knows what it is I have to do?"

"Yes. And we must leave immediately. Even now, the King of Evil and his wicked father are readying themselves for the war that could be the end of Hyrule. We don't have much time; in fact, we might not have enough time at all. But nevertheless, we must try. Navi, settle onto my back and Link, let me pick you up with my talons once again. I will fly you both to Hyrule Castle . There you will speak with the princess and she will tell you what our plan is. The plan that is our only hope of stopping Ganondorf before he can take control of Hyrule. Now, would you like to hear what I said again?"

"No! I understood it the first time, just like every other time you've told me something. Let's just hurry." Kaepora Gaebora nodded, which was difficult with the cluster of feathers around his neck, and grabbed the Hero of Time with his mighty talons, lifted himself into the air with Link and Navi in tow, and flew off into the desert in the direction of Hyrule Castle. It would take them one day to reach their destination, and by that time, Ganondorf and Astralose's army would have finally emerged from the Lost Temple, ready to strike Hyrule with all of their pent up fury.


	29. Chapter 29

Chapter Twenty-Nine: The Princess's Plan

They flew through the night with only two brief rests and finally arrived at Hyrule Castle just before noon. Kaepora Gaebora fluttered up to the Princess's window near the top of the highest tower of the castle and deposited Link upon its sill. Navi fluttered off of the giant owl's back and onto Link's shoulder. "I have a few errands to run but I will be back in an hour to pick you up after the Princess has divulged her plan. Good day Link." The owl bowed humbly and glided down from the window until he eventually disappeared over the horizon.

"Link, you're here," said a soft voice accompanied by the clicking of a door.

He abruptly turned around and saw the young princess standing only a few feet in front of him. "Yes."

"You weren't successful in stopping Ganondorf then?"

"No." 

He was about to continue speaking when Zelda interrupted him. "Then my dream must be true."

"Your dream?"

"Yes. I had a dream. I believe that it was presented by the gods, much like the one I had before we first met was. Do you want to know what happened in my dream?"

Link nodded quietly and waited for his friend to tell her story.

"In my dream, a black cloud came from the North and spread out over all of Hyrule. Suddenly I saw that Hyrule Field was flooded with blood. Then I found myself in the middle of Hyrule Castle Town. The marketplace was filled with flames and men, women, and children were being slaughtered by Moblins. It was a horrible sight. And then I saw you Link. You were fighting Ganondorf on the steps leading up to the Temple of Time. Minutes went by, but you could not hurt him. The King of Evil was laughing. Finally, you were able to strike him with your shield and he fell backwards into the Temple. A blinding light radiated from the entrance to the Temple and you followed Ganondorf in.

"What seemed like an eternity elapsed. Seasons, even decades, came and went. Hyrule was rebuilt but still neither you nor Ganondorf had come back out of the Temple of Time, until thirty years had passed. After three decades went by, Ganondorf stepped out of the Temple the same as he had entered it. Immediately my dream took me to a far-off forest that I had never seen before, where Ganondorf was speaking with a pale-faced woman. He must have convinced her to help him because he returned to Hyrule with her behind him. Another wave of darkness then passed over our land. All seemed lost. You were gone and Ganondorf had rebuilt his forces. Hyrule was imprisoned in a world of darkness. In my dream, I felt that all hope was lost. But then from a distant village, a ray of light appeared.

"Slowly this light transformed into a teenaged boy. The boy traveled Hyrule, dispelling the horrid darkness and eventually defeating the King of Evil. Hyrule was released from Ganondorf's wicked clutch at last. Hyrule was free. That was the end of my dream."

"That was a vivid dream," stated Link, not knowing what else to say.

"Yes, it was. I believe with all my heart that it was sent by the gods to help us."

"Help us how? All I can see that it told us is thirty years will pass before Ganondorf is finally defeated."

"I believe the Temple of Time has some significance. I've had many hours to think about this dream and try to figure out what it all means. I think I know now what we're supposed to do."

"And what's that?"

"I am the Sage of Time. You and I both know this. Now I've finally realized why the gods chose me. I will use the powers they have given me to transport the King of Evil thirty years into the future. Then the next hero, the next bearer of the Triforce of Courage and wielder of the Master Sword, will have been born and he will defeat Ganondorf."

"Kaepora Gaebora said you needed my help, but it doesn't sound like you do to me." 

"But I do Link. You need to weaken Ganondorf for me to be able to do this. I won't be able to transport him through time if he is at full strength. He would merely deflect my magic. You will have to fight him Link, just long enough for him to grow tired and reckless."

"That's all I needed to know. I'll do whatever it takes to defeat him. I only hope that there really is someone thirty years in the future that can stop Ganondorf once and for all."

"There is Link. There is," assured the princess.

"We'll see. And for Hyrule's sake, there had better be."

"So does he now know what must be done Princess?" asked Kaepora Gaebora, who had just flown onto the window sill. The awe-inspiring owl fluttered his wings gently and cocked his head towards the princess and the Hero of Time.

"Yes. He knows now."

"Good. Then I think it is time for us to leave Link. The knights of Hyrule have already gathered in Hyrule Field. They are waiting for Ganondorf's army."

"Wait a moment Kaepora. I need to speak to the king."

"All right. But hurry."

"When you leave my bedroom Link, turn left. You'll find my father in his study, seven doors down," directed Zelda.

"Thank you. I'll be right back." Link turned and rushed out of the room, leaving Navi with the anxious princess and the disciplined owl. He found Zelda's father right where she had said he would be. He was alone and was surprised to see the young Hero of Time standing before him.

"The owl was just here. He told me of your failure to defeat Ganondorf. It's a good thing I was readying my men while you were gone. War seems inevitable now." 

"Yes, it is. But we do have a plan to stop Ganondorf." 

"I know. The owl told me that too. Personally, I find it foolish to put so much stock in my daughter's dream. If she ends up being wrong, it could very well mean the end of Hyrule."

"I know how you feel. But all we can do is hope that she is right. It's the best plan that we have right now."

"So why are you here Link?"

"I just wanted to make sure that you knew what had happened. So if you don't mind, I need to leave." 

"Where are you going?"

"To battle. I will be with your men when Ganondorf arrives. While his army is busy dealing with your knights, I will find him and begin our final battle. Soon after, your daughter will send him thirty years into the future and then I will aid your men in finishing off the evil fiends that are left over."

"Thank you Link."

"For what?" 

"For doing so much for this kingdom. You truly are a hero." 

"Thank you your majesty, but you don't have to thank me. I wouldn't have it any other way."

"Such a humble young man. Well, good day Link. And good luck."

"Thank you your majesty. And may we meet again." The Hero of Time turned around to leave, but the king stopped him.

"Wait. May I ask one question before you go?"

"Of course."

"What is that mask that you're carrying? It has an evil look to it." 

"Just something that I thought I would be able to use to help me defeat Ganondorf. Now that I've learned that I can't defeat him, it is useless to me. Besides, it's only useful in the Twilight and I have no intention of letting that ever be formed again." 

"Twilight? What is that?"

"I'm sorry your majesty. But the explanation is too long and I really must go." 

"Yes. Of course. You can leave the mask here if you want. If it truly is useless, then you might as well not carry it around. There's no point in carrying the extra weight." 

"You're right. It will only slow me down during my battle with Ganondorf. I will leave it here." Link set it down on top of a nearby table, nodded at the king, and then hurried out of the room and back to Kaepora Gaebora's side. Moments later they were airborne and descending from Hyrule Castle to Hyrule Field, where the fate of the entire world would be decided in a few short days.


	30. Chapter 30

Chapter Thirty: A Tour of the Battlefield

They fluttered down from the castle window through a layer of fog that was blanketing all of Hyrule. Once they had pierced the fog layer, Link could see all of Hyrule's knights standing on the field, waiting impatiently for battle. There were not even a thousand men total, which was disappointing to Link. He did not know how they would stand a chance against Ganondorf and Astralose's army with such a small amount of men. Nevertheless, numbers did not truly matter that much. The entire fate of Hyrule would come down to a battle between two people: Link and Ganondorf. The armies' size would mean little.

Minutes later, Kaepora Gaebora had deposited the Hero of Time at the front of the knights' ranks. The knights looked up at the giant owl-carrying boy in awe. When he flew away, their attention turned to Link. It was fortunate that the king had told them that the boy was crucial to the battle; otherwise, they probably would have turned him away and forced him to go home. While the king had told them Link was important, he had not said why, so the men chose to ignore the boy and continue preparing for battle. Swords, spears, and shields were handed out in a seemingly infinite amount. Link toured the battlefield, watching as a group of men near the back of Hyrule's force was busy sharpening swords.

In the distance, barely perceptible through the dense mist, was Lon Lon Ranch. Link could scarcely make out its stone walls and red rooftops. He wondered whether Malon, Talon, and Ingo had evacuated yet. He was thinking about going over to the ranch and checking when he heard a male call out his voice. He turned around and saw Darunia with thirty other Gorons. "Brother!" he greeted. 

Link ran up to him to say hello but quickly found himself in the hulking Goron's arms as he was given a big Goron hug. His back nearly crushed, Darunia finally released him and looked down at him with a smile. "Battle is imminent," the Goron chieftain said. "We have come to do our best to help Hyrule. The Zoras will be coming soon too. We have lived together all of these years. Now we are willing to die together, if that is what it takes to protect this land. A certain Kokiri girl wanted me to tell you to contact her with an ocarina. I think she wants to talk to you before the battle. Here is an ocarina that you can use." Darunia handed one of the small musical instruments to his friend.

"I've been so busy. I haven't had time to talk to Saria in ages. I'm going to play her song right now."

"I'll leave you alone then. I'm sure you would like some privacy and it's time for us to move to the front lines and prepare for battle anyway. Good day Brother." Darunia gave link one more bone-crushing hug before turning and leaving. Link saw the Zoras approach from the northeast and follow the Gorons to the front of the knights' formation. Neither Princess Ruto nor King Zora was anywhere to be seen. Having seen the Gorons and Zoras, Link turned his attention to the light brown ocarina. He put it up to his lips and played the song that Saria had taught him in the Lost Woods months before.

When the notes faded into silence, he waited for Saria's voice to echo within his ears as it always did when he played her song. A moment later he heard her say, "Hi Link."

"Hi. How are you?"

"I'm fine. I'm just sitting at my favorite spot, in the Sacred Forest Meadow. I wanted to say that I'm sorry that there's nothing I can do to help you defeat Ganondorf. I would be useless in battle and the plan that Kaepora Gaebora told me about has nothing to do with me. I just wanted you to know that I have faith in you, even without the Triforce of Courage, you are still a hero."

Link bit his lip softly. Somehow, Saria always knew what to say to make him feel better. He had been so frustrated that he had lost the Triforce of Courage and been denied the chance to be the one to defeat Ganondorf, but with Saria's words, he found peace entering into his heart for the first time in days. "Thank you Saria. That means a lot." 

"And I wanted to wish you good luck. I'm sure you'll be fine, but be careful. I want to see you again after this is all said and done. You are my best friend Link. You always have been and you always will be."

"Don't worry. I'll be back. Even though right now it seems like there's a chance I won't be, I know that I will complete this task and live long enough to see you again. I can't explain how I know that, but I do."

"All right Link. I don't want to take up any more of your time. I'm sure you have lots to do. Just know that I love you and I'll be waiting for you here when the battle is done."

"Thank you. Goodbye then."

"Bye Link." The Hero of Time pulled the ocarina away from his lips and immediately the buzzing in his ears disappeared. Saria was gone. Now that that was done, Link was ready to face whatever challenges might be coming. He unsheathed the Master Sword and gazed upon its smooth, shiny surface lovingly. "I'm ready for you Ganondorf," he whispered quietly to himself.

The rest of the day had passed along with the night that followed it and still there was no sign of Ganondorf's army. The Hylian knights, Gorons, and Zoras were waiting impatiently in Hyrule Field when a battle horn resounded from the north. Link immediately woke up from the brief nap he had been taking and looked in the direction that the ominous noise had come from. He distinguished a mass of enemies numbering nearly three thousand entering the field alongside Zora River through the fog. The battle for all of Hyrule would begin in a matter of minutes.


	31. Chapter 31

Chapter Thirty-One: The Battle Begins

After seeing Ganondorf and Astralose's army approaching, Link immediately ran to the front of Hyrule's force. He wanted to see if he could spot Ganondorf. The sooner he could help in transporting the King of Evil thirty years into the future the better. As the battle drew nearer, Link was surprised to find Kaepora Gaebora fluttering alongside of him. "I found your steed in the Forest of Gormoth and told her of your needs. She's on her way here as we speak, but it will take her until after nightfall to get here." 

"By then the battle will be done. But thank you anyway Kaepora Gaebora. I was dreading having to go all the way back to get her after the battle; that's one burden taken off of my shoulders. Are you going to stay here and help?"

"Unfortunately no. Hectic moments such as these are when I'm most busy regrettably. The gods have called me to many errands that I must tend to. I may drop in later though and see how things are going. Either way, I must leave now. Good luck Link."

"Thank you. And good luck with your errands." The massive owl nodded and flew off towards the western horizon. After that brief conversation, the enemies' army was already only a thousand feet away. The Hylian knights sat silent until their adversaries were only a hundred feet away. Then their commander shouted, " Nock your arrows!" The men readied their bows and waited for the order to fire. It came only a moment later. 

A wave of lightweight yew arrows flitted into the air towards the enemy. The Hero of Time drew the Master Sword as he watched the arrows strike mostly the Moblins. Many collapsed dead, but not enough to make their army seem any less massive. Link had just enough time to see Ganondorf and Astralose leave their army and head off in the direction of the castle before he was forced to deflect a Bokoblin's scimitar before he was decapitated. The battle for Hyrule had begun at last.

After blocking the Bokoblin's attack, Link swung his sword back around into his enemy's unprotected ribcage. The hideous creature immediately fell dead. Link looked up and saw two Moblins bearing down on him, one wielding a gigantic wooden club and the other two frighteningly sharp daggers. The one with the club attacked first. Link was forced to duck under the weapon in order to keep from being struck. He then rushed forward with his sword and thrust it into the Moblin's throat.

Before any feeling of victory could come though, he sensed the other Moblin about to attack. He ripped his weapon out of his foe's jugular—releasing a jet of dark green blood—and swung it around into the dagger-wielding Moblin. This Moblin was quicker than the first one he had slain though. It brought its daggers up and deflected the Hero of Time's attack. It spun its daggers around and attempted to strike Link from two sides. The young Hylian backflipped out of the way of the attack and watched as a stray arrow slew his enemy for him, the arrowhead protruding from the Moblin's now punctured eye.

Link turned around and saw Darunia wrestling a hideous Moligange. All three of the revolting beast's arms were attempting to gouge out the Goron's eyes and its tongue was hanging in the air limply, leaving a puddle of sultry spit on the grass below. The Hero of Time ran up behind the monster and thrust the Master Sword into the back of its head without hesitation. The creature convulsed violently before falling to the ground dead, nearly pulling Link's blade out of his own hands. "Thank you," panted Darunia.

"Don't even-."

"Look out!" shouted the Goron chieftain. Link ducked and watched as the Goron's colossal fist flew over his head and into an unseen enemy. He turned around and saw a Garo ninja flying twenty feet into the air, its cloak billowing out behind it. The enemy fell into a cluster of Hylian knights and was quickly subdued. Link and Darunia nodded at each other and then split up, ready for the next wave of attackers.

Link watched as a pair of Zoras unleashed their fins as if they were boomerangs. The razor-sharp weapons flew into a wave of enemies and sliced through them as if they were made of nothing more than butter. Leaving behind a pile of gore, the fins flew back onto their owners' arms. The Hero of Time quietly reflected on how he used to be able to perform the same attack with the aid of the Zora's Mask. Because of his carelessness, his brief thoughts were interrupted by a blast of energy from a nearby Wizrobe. He was struck by the powerful energy burst and quickly found himself twenty feet from where he had started, now in a daze.

He was preparing to charge the Wizrobe when the Zoras he had been watching earlier destroyed it with their boomerang fins. The Wizrobe howled deafeningly before fizzling away into nothingness. Link was about to run up to his saviors to thank them when a Dodongo unleashed a torrent of blistering flame that consumed the Zoras entirely. A moment later all that remained was a pile of light blue ash. Now furious, Link was ready to kill the Dodongo, but he never got the chance. Darunia—in an utter rage—grabbed the beast by the tail, picked it up, and slammed it head first into a nearby boulder. With the crunching of bone and the splattering of blood, the Dodongo was no more.

Despite the fact that it seemed they were winning, Link could tell that the enemy was starting to overwhelm them. Since their forces had started out at only half of their enemies', it would be very difficult to win the battle. He noticed as the confrontation went on that he was running into allies far less frequently than he was enemies. Now he found himself surrounded by Moblins without any friendly face in sight. He was being hit from all sides and was finding it nearly impossible to protect himself from his foes' clubs. He then realized that they were merely toying with him.

This only served to anger the Hero of Time, which led him to swipe his blade harshly at the nearest assailant. Because of his fury, he swung so hard that he actually lost his grip on the Master Sword. The mystical blade flew over the heads of the Moblins that had now enclosed him in a ring and landed with a dull thud ten feet away. The nearest pig-like monster pushed Link down to the ground with a brutal snort. It raised its club, ready to kill him at last. Link raised his arm in a feeble attempt to protect himself. His end seemed imminent when there was a sudden beam of light that hit the area.

The Hero of Time watched as the beam of light hit each Moblin one at a time. Every Moblin that it struck immediately burst into a dazzling array of colors, lights, and sparkles. A moment later, the ten Moblins that had surrounded him were all gone. Link looked up, half expecting to see that the hands of the gods had saved him. He was surprised to see Kaepora Gaebora gliding in the air above. The owl closed his beak and the light immediately disappeared from the vicinity.

"I never realized you could do that!" shouted Link at the incredible owl, who was now hovering down to grown level.

"The gods entrusted to me the power of light centuries ago, when I was once a Sage."

"A Sage?!"

"Yes, but that is too long of a story. Maybe one day I'll be able to share it with you, or maybe not. The important thing is that I have finished the errands that the gods assigned me to. It is now time to put an end to this battle."

"Yes it is!"

"But not for you. You must hurry to the castle Link. Ganondorf is there. You are needed more there than here. I will take care of the battlefield."

"All right. I'll go immediately."

"Good. And Link." The owl paused thoughtfully. "Be careful."

The Hero of Time nodded and raced across the field towards the castle. He turned around just long enough to see the reincarnated Sage Kaepora Gaebora sail back into the air and unleash his overwhelming light force upon the enemy. Knowing that the battle would now be turning to Hyrule's favor, Link was free to worry about one thing: Ganondorf. Facing the castle once more, all Link could do was hope that no damage had yet been done by Ganondorf and his wicked father Astralose.


	32. Chapter 32

Chapter Thirty-Two: A Plan Gone Awry

On his way to the castle, Link picked up the mystical sword of evil's bane, but he did not dare sheathe it for fear of an unforeseen ambush by his enemies. He rushed over the drawbridge into Hyrule Castle Town and passed by a multitude of women and children huddling in fear. Not long after, Link found himself inside of the unguarded castle. He raced up the marble staircase that led up to the castle's upper floors. He eventually found the hallway that he knew the Princess's quarters were down. His heart skipped a beat when he saw that her door had been blasted off of its hinges by some powerful magical force. Even the stone walls that surrounded the door frame were blackened and cracked.

He hurried into the room where his worst fears were confirmed. The Princess was sitting in an ornate chair, eyes open and staring blankly. Her chin was resting on her unmoving chest. She was dead. The Hero of Time trudged over to his friend's side and gently grabbed her cold, lifeless hands. Holding back tears, he quietly shut her eyes. After picking up her light body, he carried her over to her bed. He lovingly laid her down upon it and folded her arms across her chest. "Rest in peace Zelda," he mumbled emotionally.

At that point, Link's mind could not focus on what Zelda's death would mean for their plan. The thought did not even have a chance of entering his mind. Instead, all he could focus on was his overwhelming desire to kill Ganondorf, to avenge his friend's death. It was all that he could concentrate about. Standing up from where he had been kneeling by his deceased companion's side, Link said aloud, "I failed in protecting you in life Zelda. I have failed you. I must now make up for this failure. I must slay Ganondorf, without the Triforce of Courage if that is the way the Gods would have it." The Hero of Time jogged out of the Princess's bedroom. All that was left was to find the King of Evil in the empty castle and defeat him.

Navi, who had been so shocked by the death of the Princess that she could not even talk, finally spoke after Link had been wandering the halls of the castle for ten minutes, trying unsuccessfully to find either Ganondorf or his wicked father. "Wait Link," she squeaked. "What about the King's study? You haven't checked their yet."

"You're right Navi. Let's look." Link turned around, ran back up the stairway that he had just descended, and found the door to the King's personal study. He opened the door stealthily and was not surprised to see that the King was no longer in the room. He was however surprised to see that Majora's Mask was no longer sitting on the table. "Where is the mask?" he gasped.

"What, this old thing?" came a voice from within a nearby closet. Out of the closet stepped Astralose. His blue cloak billowed behind him as if in the presence of a hurricane-force wind. However, his long, white hair hung unmoving over his shoulders and down his back. In his withered but strong hands was Majora's Mask. "It was my intention to destroy this mask when I found it. After all, it wouldn't be prudent to allow it to exist when it is such a potent and vengeful force in the Twilight. I suppose that's why you took it in the first place. Why else would you have need for such a thing? You planned on releasing this mask into the Twilight and allowing it to do your dirty work in a manner of speaking. It would have worked too, had you not been idiotic enough to leave it the company of that old fool the King."

"What have you done with him?" hissed Link.

"I believe my son is having a little fun with him at the top of the central tower here in the castle."

"Your son has already killed the Princess. He will pay for this." 

Astralose chuckled coldly. "I must say that I love how you automatically assume that it was Ganondorf that killed your beloved Zelda. Do you not realize what I am capable of?"

"Are you saying-?"

"Yes," interrupted the old wizard. "I killed her."

"Why?"

"No real reason, other than she happened to be in the room when I was in a murderous sort of mood," he said with a malicious smile dominating his countenance. 

"Then it is you who will pay for her death."

Astralose guffawed again, this time even longer and harder. "Do you not realize who I am? What I am? You may see only an old man before you, but I am an old man with power. A power that you haven't even seen remotely tapped yet. You have no idea what I can do. I've spared you up to this point hero, but now your end is here. I will unleash my true abilities upon you, abilities that I spent my entire youth honing. But first, I need to do something with this mask. I do intend to destroy it, but it takes time and a great deal of magic to destroy something with such a mystical and powerful nature, time that I do not yet have. And it won't do me any good to hold it during our battle. My son can keep it until after I've killed you; then I will destroy the mask."

He lifted his hands—the mask still clutched within them—over his head. He released the ancient relic, but it did not fall; it hovered in the air inches above his still outstretched hands. A moment later, the mask was gone in a ball of smoke and light. "Now that that is in my son's possession, I can turn to a task that I shall savor greatly, as I've been longing for this opportunity for months now: I shall slay the famed Hero of Time."

Link did not reply; instead, he unsheathed the trusty Master Sword and raised his Hero's Shield before him. He was ready for whatever Astralose might throw at him, and he was ready to avenge the death of one of his dearest friends. Without any further talk, he charged the evil mage Astralose with the blade of evil's bane glimmering hungrily.


	33. Chapter 33

Chapter Thirty-Three: A Confrontation Long Overdue

Link was surprised how easily he was able to initially strike Astralose. He thought the wicked man was as good as dead when his blade came within inches of cleaving his forehead. However, just before the strike fell, the sword hit an invisible barrier. The Master Sword ricocheted out of the Hero of Time's hands and he felt a surge of electricity coursing through his body. He began to convulse violently before he was finally thrown up against the wall behind him, pale and sweaty from the brief seizure.

Astralose cackled maliciously. "Did you think it would be that easy boy? Did you think I wouldn't have a spell ready to defend myself? I only let you get that close to killing me for my own personal enjoyment. The look in your eyes was priceless. You thought you had me defeated, but in an instant the light in your eyes changed. All it took was one brief discharge of but a hint of my power to bring you to your knees." He continued to laugh as Link stood up slowly, his limbs still shaking severely.

The Hero of Time bent down and plucked up the Master Sword from the corner of the room where it had fallen. Astralose did not waste another moment for scorn. He stretched his arms before him and unleashed a burst of red-hot flame. Link lifted up the shield that Zelda had given him only days before. It was fortunate that it was not a Deku Shield; otherwise, the flame would have incinerated it. Even with the strong steel of the Hero's Shield protecting him, Link could feel the heat of Astralose's attack. The little blonde hairs on the backs of his forearms curled up and disappeared. He had to fight the urge to jump back in pain. He knew that if he moved even in the slightest, his enemy's attack would consume him. Soon the inferno subsided and Astralose was panting in exhaustion. "It seems that with old age, endurance is the first thing to go," quipped Link.

Astralose did not miss a beat. "Maybe so. But I'll take pure power over endurance any day."

"And what has that gotten you? You have nothing to show for all of your years of thirsting for power. Your son has the Triforce of Power while you have nothing."

The wizard's smile turned into a livid scowl. With a roar that sounded more beastlike than human, he swiped his hands through the air wildly. A shimmering blue wave emanated from his body and expanded rapidly into a circle. Not knowing what to expect, Link pulled his shield in front of himself again. Not long after, the magic had flashed past him. Instantaneously, his shield and—even more devastatingly—the Master Sword disappeared from his grasp. Shocked by this development, he glanced around the room frantically. He saw for only a second his shield and blade floating outside of the window behind Astralose. A moment later they fell.

"Let's see how long you last without your precious defense," said Astralose, his smirk having returned. Before Link had any time to respond, another blast of flames was coming at him. He rolled out of the way, nearly knocking over a decorative marble statue with a massive battle axe in its hands. The fire attack incinerated the wall behind him as Link tried to wrest the axe from the statue's grasp. Unfortunately, its thick stone fingers were wrapped all of the way around the weapon's hilt and it was impossible to remove it. He did not have long to curse his misfortune though. Another one of Astralose's fireballs was rushing in his direction.

Backflipping out of the way, Link found himself only feet away from his nemesis. "That's enough!" cried Astralose. He thrust his hands forward and lifted them into the air. The Hero of Time felt himself being pulled away from the ground. He was now levitating helplessly only feet away from the evil mage. Astralose licked his lips hungrily as he prepared to unleash another strike, one that would surely be lethal. Suddenly he felt a sharp, piercing pain in his left ear. Whipping his head in pain, he saw a bright ball of light flanking the side of his face. "Curse you fairy!" he shrieked.

Link fell to the ground as Astralose was immediately distracted by Navi. "I'll kill you!" cursed Astralose as he threw his head around violently in an attempt to shake loose his attacker. Finally, he was able to get the fairy off of his ear. Losing sense completely because of his utter rage, he began waving his arms frantically. One by one, furniture in the room flew in the direction of Navi, but she dodged all of them effortlessly with her nimble wings. The King's former desk was the first to crash into the wall; it shattered into splinters from the force of the collision. Next came multiple chairs and a table, all of them crashing into the walls and ceiling, causing the entire room to shake violently.

Astralose flew into an even greater rage as the fairy that had maimed his ear evaded every one of his attacks. The old wizard soon lost it completely. The windows shattered behind him into a thousand shards of glass. Every piece of the broken window flew in Navi's direction. She dodged them easily, but Link barely had time to duck, narrowly avoiding being diced into a hundred bloody pieces. The door flew off of its hinges and crashed into the ceiling. The room looked as if a whirlwind had originated in its very center. The next piece of furniture to be born by Astralose's wrath was a massive bookcase, every space within it taken up by hardback books. This bookcase crashed into the wall behind Navi so powerfully that the entire room shook like an earthquake had hit.

Link watched in surprise as the statue that he had tried unsuccessfully to take the axe from began to teeter dangerously. A moment later it had fallen. It crashed into the distracted wizard with all of its weight, the axe that Link had hoped to use was now firmly planted in his enemy's back. Its razor-sharp edge had sliced all the way through his body and was sticking out of his chest dripping with gore. Astralose dropped to the ground with the statue on top of him and the axe still buried in his back. He let out one gasp of pain before life left his eyes. The Hero of Time stared on in disbelief. "After all of that, he ended up being his own demise." Turning to Navi—who was now hovering over the ruined bookcase—, Link said, "I can't tell you how grateful I am Navi. If not for you, it would be me that was dead and Astralose still alive."

"As if you need to thank me. I just wish that you were more careful sometimes." 

"What else could I have done? He took away the Master Sword."

"I guess you're right. But it's a good thing I'm here to look after you."

"Indeed," replied Link with a smile. He trudged up to the nearest window and glanced down through the ring of broken glass that surrounded its now hollow frame. He saw his sword and shield a hundred feet below in a grassy courtyard. "Come on. We need to go and get those back."

He left the room with Astralose's lifeless body still trapped beneath the fallen sculpture. Five minutes later, Link had the Master Sword and the Hero's Shield back in his possession. "So now what do we do?" asked Navi.

"We face Ganondorf. We know where he is, thanks to his father. We'll weaken him just enough so that Zelda can-. Oh no, but Zelda's dead. How could I not realize what this means? How can we hope to defeat Ganondorf now?" He sat on a nearby dirt mound, near despair.

"Well, we have to do something Link."

He sat quietly for a moment before saying, "You're right. I'll have to face him regardless. If it isn't me, then who will? This could very well be my end, but what choice do I have?" He stood up defiantly. "Come on Navi. It's time."

As he turned to leave the courtyard, a familiar voice shouted, "Wait!" 

The Hero of Time turned around and saw Kaepora Gaebora sitting on a nearby wall. "Is the battle over?" asked Link. 

"Nearly. I sensed that I was needed more here."

"Well, unless you can help me defeat Ganondorf, then you're not needed here at all. Zelda's dead, so our former plan is ruined. It's now up to me alone to try and defeat him."

"I know she is dead, and the plan is not ruined."

"How do you know she is dead?"

"Did you not wonder about my errands Link?" asked the owl, ignoring the question.

"Yes. A little. I didn't think it was my business to ask though."

"I was called by Zelda. All of the Sages are connected Link. We needn't be able to see each other to speak. She called for me and I came to her. She had been napping only moments before and had had another dream. Somehow it gave her the impression that her end was near. She was not scared of death, only of not being able to help you transport Ganondorf into the future. We decided together that her dream could not be ignored and she passed her power onto me. Only moments after the transfer was complete, Astralose barged into her room. The Princess—not wanting us both to be slain—shut the window on me. She was dead before I even had the chance to protest. Because of her wisdom though, I now have the ability to do what she was to do. If you weaken Ganondorf, I will transport him thirty years into the future. Will you still help Hyrule?"

"Of course." 

"You are still the most courageous Hylian I have ever known, even without the Triforce of Courage. Now it is time Link. Ganondorf is at the top of the central tower of the castle. I will create a portal around the midsection of the tower. If you can push Ganondorf off of the edge of the roof, he will fall into the portal and our plan will be complete. Do you understand?"

"Yes. And I am ready."

"Good Link. Hyrule will forever be in debt to you if you are successful. Good luck." Kaepora Gaebora took flight and made his way to the tallest tower of Hyrule Castle, so he could create the portal that would put an end to Ganondorf's attack.

"Let's go Navi. It's finally time to face Ganondorf."


	34. Chapter 34

Chapter Thirty-Four: Escape from the Battlefield

Before the battle on Hyrule Field had even started, Nylania had been ordered by her father and brother to stay at the back of their army. She was too important to risk being slain by the Hylian knights they had said. No matter what happened, she was not to use the Twilight. Astralose in particular had wanted to leave that as a surprise for the peoples of Hyrule for when the time finally did come to use it. She had agreed with little protest. That was when her evil relatives departed for the castle. Their goal was to kill the royal family, so there would no longer be a rightful heir to the throne.

Throughout the battle, Nylania spent her time sitting on a small boulder near the Zora River. She entertained herself by floating rocks into the air and forcing them to collide with each other, shattering into shards of stone. Victory was achieved—she decided—by breaking the rocks into at least a hundred pieces with one hit. After a few hours, she was finally getting close to winning her little game. However, her fun came to an abrupt end when she suddenly noticed that her family's evil minions were no longer around her.

It appeared that the tide of the battle had finally turned in Hyrule's fortune. Ganondorf and Astralose's army had been divided and conquered so much that there only remained a few small pockets of resistance. Almost all of the individuals that Nylania could see now were Hylian knights, Gorons, and Zoras. Also, she noticed a giant owl flying from the direction of the castle. It spread its wings to slow down and opened its mouth wide. From its gaping beak came a beam of light so bright that Nylania was forced to avert her gaze. When the dazzling glow subsided, she turned back toward the battle. She was surprised to see a pile of armor and weaponry where a group of Moblins had been standing only moments before.

The awe-inspiring owl then turned its attention to Nylania. It was obvious that it recognized that she was an enemy. Nylania was more than prepared for its powerful light attack though. She would not be as easily vanquished as the Moblins that had been by her side throughout the battle. The owl spread its beak wide once more and another powerful ray of light shot forth. Moments before this attack could strike the appropriately titled Twilight Princess, she lifted her hands above her head. A swirling ball of black smoke formed between her palms. The light beam bent towards it in mid-flight and was sucked into the dark ball. The light continued to burst forth from her enemy, but it was being continually absorbed by her defense.

After this continued for a moment, sparks began to shoot out from Nylania's hands violently. A second later, a foggy smear of blackness began to crawl up the owl's light beam. It started slowly, but quickly gained momentum as it crept towards her enemy. It was clear that the owl's eyes were widening with fear as the consuming darkness was now only feet away from its mouth. The owl tried to discontinue its attack, but Nylania had gained complete control over what had been a beam of light and was now a streak of shadow, so there was nothing that the owl could do. It was with this realization that her attack finally followed the ray of light into the owl's gaping mouth.

In a desperate attempt to prevent the darkness from gaining entry into his body, Kaepora Gaebora threw out a wave of light, hoping it would push back his enemy's strike, but it was unsuccessful. The sparkling radiance that had shot out from his feathered body for but a moment was quickly subdued. A veil of darkness cloaked his face and spread down his body, wings, and tail feathers. Once the black ball had completely consumed him, it began to spin and shake rapidly. It was becoming elliptical in shape when it ultimately collapsed in upon itself.

A brief squawk by the reincarnated sage was quickly cut off. The black cloud caved in instantaneously, spraying chunks of blood, feathers, and meat into the air around it. Red gore rained down upon the battlefield below in a gruesome shower. The smoke dissipated and it was clear that Kaepora Gaebora was no more. Nylania breathed a sigh of relief. "It was more powerful than I thought. It almost killed me." She turned around and was surprised to see that the enemy had surrounded her. "I have no choice," she muttered. 

She closed her eyes and a moment later a swirling cloud of black smoke formed at her feet. It quickly rose up her body and then expanded outward. It began to consume the knights that had been surrounding her. They screamed in pain as they entered the Twilight and were transformed into various animals. When the Twilight had swelled so that it took up the entire northern portion of Hyrule Field, Nylania broke her concentration intentionally and allowed her spell to stop. She turned to the northeast and raced away from the battlefield. She left the Twilight without looking back.

A brief rumble in the ground below her feet caused her to look around. She saw that the tallest tower of the castle was shaking intensely and its top was wreathed in a dark cloud. It was clear that a battle was taking place at its summit, because flashes of multi-colored lights were occurring within the fog. She decided to ignore this battle though and continue along her path. She would make her way to the Lost Temple in the Forest of Gormoth. A part of her hoped that with the loss of her father and brother's army, they would give up on their plan and her powers would not be needed. All that she wanted was to settle down in peace in the Lost Temple. And as she continued to walk farther from Hyrule, she began to grow certain that at last, this was exactly what she would get.


	35. Chapter 35

Chapter Thirty-Five: The Battle of the Ages

Fifteen minutes after Kaepora Gaebora had created the portal that would transport Ganondorf into the future if all went well, Link was in front of the trapdoor that led to the roof of Hyrule Castle's tallest tower. "This is it Navi. Are you ready?"

"I'm ready. Are you?"

Link nodded. "Yes. It's now or never." He unsheathed the Master Sword, opened the trapdoor, and passed through it. The first thing he saw was the King of Hyrule lying dead only feet away. Behind him, Ganondorf stood with Majora's Mask grasped firmly in his palms. 

The King of Evil had not seen the Hero of Time yet. He muttered to himself, "Now, why would my father give me this? What good does it do me?" He stood quietly for a moment more, gazing thoughtfully at the mask. "I have no use for this." He tossed the mask like a boomerang off the roof behind him and looked up. As the mask clattered onto the roof of the castle far below, the King of Evil first noticed his greatest enemy. "Well, well, well. Look who has decided to grace me with his presence."

"Your attack is done Ganondorf. Your army is destroyed and you will be vanquished soon."

"Have you already forgotten what I told you boy? You cannot defeat me. You are worthless without the Triforce of Courage. There is no hope for you. And after I kill you, I will find my sister and we will conquer Hyrule with my Triforce of Power and her Twilight. Your kingdom does not stand a chance. Now, the real question is, are you finally ready to die boy?" The King of Evil closed his eyes as storm clouds drew around the tower from the west. Not long after, the sun was blocked off entirely and Link found himself cloaked in darkness. He could hardly see anything except for his enemy's glowing red eyes.

Despite the lack of visibility, Link charged Ganondorf without hesitation. He knew that all he had to do was knock the King of Evil off the tower to be victorious. He was surprised that he was actually able to strike his foe. With his shield before him, Link hit Ganondorf at a full sprint. His enemy staggered back a few feet to the edge of the roof, but he did not fall. The Gerudo quickly recovered. He grabbed the Hero of Time and threw him backward. He fell fifteen feet away at the edge of the flat roof. He groaned in pain as he stood. He could feel a painful bruise throbbing in his knee.

Ganondorf guffawed and asked, "What was that? You didn't even try to strike me with the Master Sword. Did you think you could match me in brute strength?" The Gerudo king strutted up to Link and grabbed him just as he reached his feet. He grabbed him by his blonde hair at the back of his head and pulled his head back, exposing his throat. The Hero of Time kicked his feet wildly into Ganondorf's shins, but his adversary was seemingly immune to the pain. The King of Thieves pulled his massive clenched fist back and brought it smashing down into Link's face repeatedly. Navi, in an attempt to help her friend as she had in his battle with Astralose, flew towards Ganondorf's ear. She only got halfway there though before she was spotted. The Gerudo backhanded the fairy and sent her spiraling into the air until she disappeared into the dark clouds that surrounded them all.

This was enough of a diversion though for the young Hero of Time. He lifted his iron shield and thrust it towards his enemy's face. The shield's thinnest edge crashed into Ganondorf's smirking mouth. The King of Evil cried out and dropped his foe as three teeth and a mass of green blood gushed forth from his mouth. He cursed Link in every language that he knew and reached for him in an attempt to finish him off. However, Link had darted through his legs. Standing behind his enemy, the Hero of Time smacked him in the back with his shield. Ganondorf stumbled forward as Link hit him repeatedly with the Hero's Shield. Before the King of Evil could recover his balance, he had staggered over the edge of the tower.

The Hero of Time had one second of celebration before he saw that the Gerudo had managed to catch the lip of the tower with his powerful hands. Link tried to stomp his enemy's hands to force him to let go of his hold on the roof, but Ganondorf lifted one hand and thrust it in his adversary's direction. Link felt an invisible force strike him in the chest and found himself spiraling backwards into the air. He landed at the other end of the tower and by the time he was able to stand up, the King of Evil had pulled himself back up onto the roof.

Ganondorf lifted his hands into the air. Flashes of vibrantly colored lights flared in the clouds above. A moment later, these lights began to rush downward as rainbow-colored lightning bolts. All of them were aimed at the Hero of Time. Link was forced to roll around in circles to dodge the rapid lightning attacks. Each time one of the bolts struck the roof of the tower, the entire castle shook violently. After the first bolt struck, every window in the castle shattered simultaneously with a deafening clamor.

Tiles began to break free from the roof and jump tens of feet into the air. Link soon found himself running around the tower in circles with hard, stone tiles raining down on him. He was able to dodge Ganondorf's lightning attacks successfully until he stumbled over a crack in the roof where numerous tiles had recently broken away. He fell to his knees and was unable to get up before he felt a surge of electricity flash through his body.

It felt like his entire body was on fire for countless seconds. His skin flashed red, yellow, and eventually blue before the lightning ran its course. The heat eventually dissipated and he found himself lying in a crumpled pile, barely even able to twitch a finger. The King of Evil strode over to him and rolled him over with his boot. He unsheathed his massive, six-foot long blade and lifted it over his head, ready to finish off his nemesis. However, Link was not yet ready to give up. Just as Ganondorf's sword came crashing down, the Hero of Time was able to roll partially out of the way. The Gerudo's bloodstained weapon glanced off the Master Sword and smashed into the roof of the tower. The roof—already weakened by the King of Evil's relentless lightning bolts—caved in from the brute force of this attack. Next thing Ganondorf and Link knew, they were crashing down into the room below amid a pile of rubble.

Fortunately, the Hero of Time was not injured during the fall. He dusted himself off and looked around the storage room into which they had fallen. All he could see was a pile of tiles and marble stone. The Gerudo king was nowhere to be seen. However, Link could hear a deep rumbling noise. Not long after the noise began, the King of Evil flew up from under the rubble only feet away, sending chunks of rock flying into the walls of the chamber. Ganondorf was panting heavily and his eyes glowed like blazing coals. As he floated in the air,—his black cape billowing behind him even without any wind—he lifted his hand and his sword flew out from underneath the debris to his hand.

The King of Thieves glided over to Link rapidly and swung his sword with both hands. The Hero of Time ducked under the blow and Ganondorf's attack crashed into the wall of the room, caving in the wall and bringing more of the ceiling above crashing down on top of him. He shrugged off the bits of stone and looked up. The entire roof of the tower had now fallen into the storage room. The black clouds above swirled noticeably. The former storeroom's floor was entirely covered with debris. The chamber now had only three walls. The wall next to Ganondorf had fallen and there was now nothing to prevent him from falling out of the room and into Kaepora Gaebora's portal if Link could knock him backward.

Having jarred his entire arm painfully after striking the wall, the King of Evil had to wait a moment before he could strike his enemy again. The Hero of Time took this opportunity to pick up a huge chunk of marble off the ground. He threw it at his nemesis as hard as he could. Ganondorf was not paying attention and the mass of rock crashed into the side of his head. He lost his floating ability and fell to the floor below, where he landed on the former King of Hyrule's dead body. He dropped his weapon and it clattered out of the room and down the exterior of the tower. Ganondorf roared as he felt the side of his head and noticed a patch of sticky blood. "One lucky blow will not lead you to victory," he declared confidently.

"No, but this will," declared Link. He rushed the King of Evil, but instead of attacking him, he rolled over the King's corpse that most of Ganondorf's weight was on. Next thing the Gerudo knew, he had rolled out of the room and was falling alongside the outside of the tower with what had been the King of Hyrule accompanying him.

"Do you think one little fall can kill me?!" yelled Ganondorf up to his enemy as he plunged downward. "I'll be back up there in no time to finish you off." However, the King of Evil was not aware of Kaepora Gaebora's time portal. Link was able to make it to the edge of the room just in time to watch his adversary disappear in a flash of light. His roar was cut short, as he was instantly teleported thirty years into the future. Link sat down tiredly as he sheathed the Master Sword. "It is done," he declared.


	36. Chapter 36

Chapter Thirty-Six: A Blade Laid to Rest

Link sat quietly for a half an hour—breathing multiple sighs of relief—before he heard someone enter the room behind him. "You're the boy that the Princess speaks so highly of, Link," said a voice that he had never heard before. He turned around and saw a Hylian knight standing in the halfway-crumbled doorway. He did not respond, so the knight introduced himself. "I am Formead, Captain of the Hylian Militia. I'm looking for the King. The battle has been won and I'm sure he would like to hear the news."

The Hero of Time sighed. "The King is dead. Ganondorf murdered him before I was able to intercede." 

"Oh no," gasped Formead. "We had men protecting the entrance to the Castle. I guess it wasn't enough."

"A whole army couldn't have stopped Ganondorf let alone a few men, not when he had the Triforce of Power."

"I'm afraid to ask of the Princess as she was here too."

"Yes. She is dead too," replied Link, his voice shaky as he tried to hold back tears. "They were both already dead when I arrived."

"Then where is Ganondorf?"

"He is gone."

"Dead?" 

"No. Just gone."

"What do you mean?"

"He has been transported thirty years into the future."

"Then what's to stop him from wreaking havoc then, in the future I mean." 

"The Princess had a dream that someone thirty years from now would have the power to slay Ganondorf."

"How could she be so sure? What if she's wrong?"

"I've wondered that myself. There is no way to be sure. The fate of Hyrule lies in the hands of the gods now."

"How can you say that? You're supposed to be a hero, or so said the King and the Princess. I can't imagine what kind of a hero would sit back and do nothing after all that's happened."

Link was taken aback by Formead's statement. "Well, I, I-. There's nothing I can do. Everyone that I've talked to agrees. It's out of my hands now."

"You're despicable. You wield the Master Sword and yet you do nothing. If I were you, with your gifts, I would do something, anything, to help. I would prepare myself for Ganondorf's return thirty years from now. I would be ready. Now, if you'll excuse me _hero_," he scorned. "I'm off to find the only remaining child of the king, Daphnes, if he's managed to survive all this. I don't know how he's going to cope with this. He'll be the king of Hyrule at fourteen years old. But what choice do we have?" Formead then turned and left the room.

When he left the room, Navi fluttered onto Link's shoulder. "Don't listen to him Link. He's just upset about the King and Princess's death. He didn't mean it."

"But he's right Navi. How can I sit by and trust this to the gods? What if thirty years pass, Ganondorf returns, and then there's nobody to slay him? I can't let that happen." 

"But Link. You can't slay him. You need the Triforce of Courage."

"I don't think I do though. I think if I train enough, I'll be ready for him. I'm still young Navi. With the proper training, I may be able to defeat Ganondorf, even without a piece of the Triforce."

"I beg of you Link. Listen to yourself. This is foolish. Mark my words. If you challenge Ganondorf again, he will defeat you. You'll just have to have a little faith. The gods won't let Ganondorf go undefeated. They will bestow the Triforce of Courage upon the next worthy candidate."

"But you don't understand…"

"What's this really about? Are you thinking of Hyrule right now or yourself? Because it sure sounds like the latter."

"How can you say that? Of course I'm thinking of Hyrule right now."

"Well, it seems to me that you're a little jealous that you won't be Hyrule's hero anymore."

Link sighed. "Maybe you're right. Oh, who am I kidding? You are right Navi. It's just hard to accept that I'm going to be replaced. And I still have this feeling of doubt. This feeling that I have to do something. I can't just sit idly by and watch. It's too hard."

"You can help in other ways. You can give the new hero advice when he does come forth. You know Ganondorf better than any other Hylian. You can tell the hero about Ganondorf's weaknesses and help him prepare. But do you know what the first thing you're going to have to do for him is Link?" 

"What?"

"You need to leave the Master Sword for him. You need to return the Master Sword to the Pedestal of Time. He'll need it to defeat Ganondorf. And we have to make sure that it's there for him when he's ready for it."

"Return the Master Sword?"

"Yes Link. He'll need it more than you do."

"I don't know Nav-"

"You know Link," the fairy interrupted. "This is starting to get out of hand. I'm starting to think that you're going to be nothing but a hindrance to the battle against Ganondorf now."

"The last thing I want to be is a hindrance."

"Then leave the Master Sword behind. I know it's hard to move on Link, but you have no choice. If you don't move on, the next hero and then Hyrule will fall." The Hero of Time sighed and then reluctantly agreed. "I'm glad you've finally come to your senses. Now, let's get to the Temple of Time."

They were hurrying through the Hyrule Castle Town Marketplace towards the Temple of Time when they ran into Formead and a teenaged boy. "I was just looking for you Link. I wanted to apologize for what I said earlier. I'm sorry. I wasn't thinking straight."

"That's all right. Don't worry about it."

"Thank you. So where are you going?" asked Formead, too distracted to remember to introduce Link to the young prince next to him.

"To the Temple of Time, to return the Master Sword to the Pedestal of Time."

"Do you really think this is the time to do that? I've been talking to young Daphnes here and we've agreed that we will have his coronation tomorrow in the Temple of Time. Maybe you can lay the Master Sword to rest during that ceremony. I think it would be appropriate for such an event."

"Um, I suppose it'll be all right to wait another day. What time is the coronation?"

"Noon." 

"I'll be there then." After seeing the tears building up in the soon-to-be king's eyes, Link said, "And I'm so sorry about your sister and father Daphnes. Their deaths hit me hard too." The boy nodded and Link made his way south. He had decided that he would spend the night alone in the Kokiri Forest. A couple of hours later he was at the foot of the ladder in front of his house. He was about to climb it when a girl called out his name. He turned around and saw Saria running to him.

"I'm so proud of you!" she cried as she embraced him. "You did it!"

"Thanks," responded Link, his cheeks glowing red.

"Are you okay? I know about the Princess and Kaepora."

"Kaepora?"

"Oh, you didn't know," she said, biting her lip tentatively. "He was killed."

"How?" he asked in shock.

"I don't know. But I felt a wave of darkness pass over my field of vision and knew that he had been slain. It was the same color as that strange bubble that's now lying over Hyrule Field."

"It was Nylania," sighed the Hero of Time.

"Who?"

"It's a long story." He paused and said, "I can't believe he's dead too. It seems as if everyone's dying now. All because of Ganondorf. Zelda's dead, indirectly because of Ganondorf. The Great Deku Tree's dead, directly because of Ganondorf. Kaepora Gaebora, killed by Nylania, who wouldn't have been here if not for Ganondorf and Astralose. And then the king of Hyrule, murdered by Ganondorf. I can't let him get away with this. I just can't," said Link through gritted teeth. Saria?"

"Yes."

"I'm glad you came to see if I'm all right, but I would kind of like to be alone right now. I have a lot to think about."

"Oh really?" she asked, taken aback. "Okay then. I guess I'll see you tomorrow then."

"Probably not. I'll be going to Daphnes's coronation."

"Oh, okay then. Well, I'll see you soon either way. I mean, we'll have plenty of time to spend together now that you've come home to settle down."

"Um, yeah," he said hesitantly

"What Link? You're coming home for good, right?"

"I don't know Saria. I really don't know." Seeing the look on her face, he said, "I'm sorry Saria. I just have a lot of thinking to do tonight. We'll talk about it later. Good night."

"Good night Link."

The Hero of Time turned around and climbed up the ladder. Just before he entered the only home that he had ever known, Navi buzzed in his ear. "Hey! What do you mean you don't know if you're coming home for good? You'd better know! I thought I'd already talked you out of trying anything stupid."

"I heard you the first time Navi, but I have a decision to make. Don't worry. I'll weigh your advice. I just need some time alone to think about things. Could you leave me alone please?"

"Oh fine. After all we've been through, you're going to just send me away now."

"It's not like that Navi."

"Uh-huh," she replied, clearly offended. "I'll leave you to your precious thinking time Link. I'll see you at the coronation." She wheeled around and then glided away.

Link sighed. "Why can't anyone understand?" He then turned back to the doorway of his house and walked through it.

The next morning, Link arrived late to the coronation ceremony. His blonde hair was ruffled and his eyelids were dark. It was clear that he had slept little the night before. When he walked into the Temple of Time, a crowd of a hundred people stood in front of him. He made his way through the multitude of Hylians, Gorons, and Zoras until he was at the front. Daphnes was already crowned and standing in the empty doorway that had once held the Door of Time. Formead—who was standing next to the newly crowned king—saw Link and said, "Ah, here he is at last. The Hero of Time!" The people began to clap and Link trudged up to Formead's side, his head slumped humbly.

"I'm here to lay the Master Sword to rest," he whispered to the Captain of the Hylian Militia.

"Of course you are Link. Everyone remain silent as the Hero of Time restores the Master Sword to the Pedestal of Time."

Link walked past King Daphnes and Formead and up to the Pedestal of Time. Removing the sheathed blade from his side, he lowered it into the slot before him unceremoniously. "It's done," he whispered. 

Formead cleared his throat and proclaimed for all to hear, "Now that the Master Sword has been laid to rest, it will remain here for thirty years until the next hero—who will have to prove his worth—claims it. There will be a guard in front of the Temple of time at all times to protect the sacred blade from anyone unworthy. Let's commend the Hero of Time once more for all he's done."

Surrounded by thunderous applause, Link hurried out of the Temple of Time without another word. The crowd quickly stopped clapping from their surprise at their hero's quick departure. As the young Hylian hurried out of Hyrule Castle Town, he knew that this chapter of his life was now done, but nobody beside himself realized that it was only the beginning of another, even more important chapter.


	37. Chapter 37

Chapter Thirty-Seven: Hyrule in Twilight

A hot and dry gust of wind blew across the once fertile but now desolate plains of Hyrule. Halfway across this field, which had once been the heart of one of the greatest kingdoms that anyone could remember, the wind was deflected as it struck a strange bubble that seemed to be dark yet glow at the same time. It wrapped around this massive, pulsing object all the way to its southernmost tip, where the breeze was finally unobstructed and able to flow in its normal southeastwardly course. A half mile later, however, it met another, smaller obstacle. It was a man, gazing intently towards the northwestern horizon, watching the mystical bubble that the wind had paid so little regard.

The mysterious stranger felt a chill pass through his body as a breeze blew across his exposed skin. "I'm too late," he muttered quietly as he turned away from the Twilight that had consumed all of northern Hyrule, including the castle. He headed east towards the forests that blanketed that end of the kingdom. A few minutes later he passed under the boughs of the imposing trees and into a realm that few dared to enter: the realm of the mischievous forest guardians, the Kokiri, who according to many tales slew and ate any unwelcome trespassers into their lands. This man was not intimidated though. He knew for a fact that these tales were only made up to keep out any that might seek to harm the forest. The Kokiri were no more likely to tear a person apart limb from limb and eat them than the fun-loving terriers that once upon a time had roamed Hyrule Castle Town's alley ways. It took only a few more minutes of contemplating the true nature of the Kokiri before he found himself in the midst of their ancient village.

He saw a few of the eternal children staring at him, almost certainly wondering who their visitor was. He did not pay them too much attention though. He was looking for the Forest Sage, Saria. He entered her home without knocking (nobody ever knocked in Hyrule) and saw her sitting in the middle of her floor with two fairies fluttering beside her. One was her own and the other was named Navi, the famed companion of the Hero of Time. The green-haired girl stared at this new entrant into her home, inquisitively waiting for him to introduce himself. However, he merely stood there, apparently nervous because he kept opening his mouth in an attempt to speak only to immediately shut it again. It was Navi the fairy who first spoke.

"It can't be," she whispered. "It's not- You're not- Link?"

The blonde-haired man adorned in the finest armor ever seen in the Kokiri Forest nodded his head, unable to speak.

"You're alive!" the fairy shrieked. She flew over to her old companion faster than an arrow leaving a bow. Link, expecting some fairy version of a hug, was shocked when she flew into his face in an outright attack. "How dare you just ditch me for thirty years! Do you know what you've put me through?!"

"Navi, I'm sorry-," he started, but the fairy interrupted.

"Thirty years Link. Thirty years. What have you been doing all this time? And why did you have to do it alone?"

"There'll be plenty of time to talk about that later. Right now, we don't have time. I need to know how long Ganondorf's been back."

"Oh no you don't. Don't come in here demanding information. There's plenty of time for you to explain yourself. So start explaining. What were you doing?" 

"Training," he muttered.

"Training for what?" 

"Combat. I wanted to be ready for Ganondorf for when he came back. I traveled far and wide looking for the greatest trainer alive today: Orca the eleventh. I'm sure you've heard of him. Each of his forefathers was a combat trainer and they were all named Orca. Their legacy has been around for centuries and will probably continue for centuries more. I knew that only someone with that much knowledge of combat could prepare me for the King of Evil. And I didn't tell you or anyone else about this because I knew you'd try to stop me. What I was doing had to be a secret. But I did find him far away from here and we prepared for twenty-three years. If I can't stop Ganondorf now, then no one can."

"I can't believe you did this Link. I thought you understood that it's hopeless for you to stop Ganondorf. It's up to the next bearer of the Triforce of Courage to do so."

"And where is he? Has he appeared yet? It certainly wouldn't seem so. All it takes is one look at what used to be Hyrule Castle to prove that."

"We don't know if he's come yet. The Twilight appeared six months ago. It consumed the castle, the city, and the Temple of Time in only a matter of hours. At that point, nobody had even attempted to claim the Master Sword. And there's no way to check if the next hero has come and taken it yet or not. We don't even know if Ganondorf is in there or not. Nobody has dared to enter the Twilight since it appeared. And the people that were caught within it haven't come out since."

"So for all we know, the next wielder of the Triforce of Courage might not even exist. If that's the case, then it really is up to me to stop Ganondorf and the Twilight before it spreads."

"You can't go in there Link. Mark my words. If you go in there and face Ganondorf, he will kill you."

"I love you and respect you Navi, but there's no way you're going to stop me. I'm a grown man now and I know my responsibilities. And I'm prepared to do this. I've been preparing to do this for all my life. I'll stop Ganondorf, since nobody else is going to do so." 

The glowing fairy sighed and said, "Fine then. If I truly can't stop you, then I guess I'll come with you. I might be able to help you as I have in the past. It seems I don't have much of a choice."

"Let's go then. We don't have any time to waste." As he turned to leave, he heard the sound of someone clearing their throat. He saw Saria still sitting on the carpet quietly. He had forgotten her during the excitement of his conversation with Navi.

"Were you going to leave without even saying goodbye?" she asked.

"Of course not. I'm sorry." He walked over to the sage and looked down at her.

"It's been good to see you again Link, all grown up and all. I thought you'd left us forever. And if this is our final goodbye, then I'm at least glad that we got a final goodbye, because we sure didn't thirty years ago."

"I'm sorry I left Saria, but I had to-."

"Don't apologize. You have the heart of a hero Link. And I understand why you did what you did and why you have to do what you're going to do. I wish you luck." The Hero of Time smiled, tears welling up in the corners of his eyes. "I love you Link. I always have. You've always been my greatest friend." 

"And you've always been mine Saria. I love you too." He bent down, parted her wavy green hair out of her eyes, and kissed her on the forehead. "Goodbye." He turned and left the home of his best friend without another word, Navi fluttering over his right shoulder.

On the way to the Twilight, Navi attempted to start a conversation with the clearly depressed but still persistent Hero of Time. "So will you try to reclaim the Master Sword, if it hasn't already be taken?"

"No. I wouldn't be able to pull it out anyway. The gods are apparently against me."

"Don't you think you should at least try?"

"No. It's pointless to even try. I have a plan anyway," he declared in the now incredibly deep voice he had that Navi didn't think she would ever be able to adjust to.

"What plan?"

"Just trust me Navi. I'd rather not talk about it right now. Just trust me." She remained silent by his side the rest of the trip. A half an hour later, they were standing in front of the fluorescent wall of Twilight that was slowly expanding in an effort to encompass all of Hyrule. "This is it. Let's just hope that Ganondorf is in there and it isn't just Nylania." Without any further hesitation, they passed into the Twilight Realm.


	38. Chapter 38

Chapter Thirty-Eight: Vengeance is Sweet

Inside of the Twilight Realm, Navi the fairy could keep her true form; however, Link was not as fortunate. He instantly was transformed into a wolf with mottled fur and an almost rabid gleam in its eyes. "Where are we going Link?!" Navi shouted as the wolf raced across the remaining portion of Hyrule Field that lay between the wall of Twilight and the castle. Unable to speak in his current form, all the Hero of Time could do was look back at his fairy companion as he continued to gallop forward.

With the speed that only a quadruped animal can manage, they hurried across the drawbridge into the Hyrule Castle Town marketplace in only a couple of minutes. Within the large open square, they were unsurprised to see a number of tame animals, most lying around with an almost beleaguered look upon their furry, feathered, and scaly faces. Link ignored them though. He knew the only way to help them would be to continue on with his plan.

Navi, expecting her friend to continue towards the castle, was surprised when he turned down one of the town's seedy back alleys. She followed and watched as he squirmed into a sewer grate on his belly. She fluttered down after him into the sewer system, even darker than usual in the light-killing veil of the Twilight. They hurried through the flooded passageways, Link's four paws throwing droplets of green and brown water back onto Navi's glowing body. A few minutes later, they stopped at an especially flooded spot where the water rose up to the Hero of Time's barrel-shaped chest. Above the spot was a dilapidated trapdoor, nearly falling off its hinges.

Link stood on his hind legs and was able to reach the entryway because of the shortness of the channel they were in. He pushed it open and clambered into the light above, which seemed almost blinding after the darkness of the sewers. Once inside, Navi looked around and was surprised to find the room they were in lined with cells all around. "What are we doing in the dungeons Link? What are you trying to do?" When he looked at her with a blatantly exasperated look on his furry face, she responded. "Oh, I know you can't talk, all right?! Don't look at me like that. I'm allowed to think aloud, aren't I?" The Hero of Time turned around, stifling what was obviously a wolf's version of a chuckle.

He crept through a nearby archway into the dungeon's guard chamber. Inside, there was a slumbering tiger, laying across a desk with its four paws splayed across the tabletop's respective corners. Link snuck up to this desk, grabbed the knob of the one and only drawer in the desk's front half with his mouth, and pulled on the knob. The drawer opened and he was ecstatic to see a ring of keys lying inside. He pulled the rusted keys out, letting the key ring hang on one of his bottom fangs, and trotted back into the room with the cells.

He scanned each cell and then stopped at the one he was apparently looking for. Navi fluttered onto his shoulder and let out a gasp as she saw what lay inside. "It's the imp that Nylania accidentally created from Majora's Mask!" she gasped. The strange creature heard the voice and roused from its apparent slumber.

"Who are you? Who dares disturb my rest? Do you think because that foolish girl, the so-called Twilight Princess caught me off guard and trapped me here, that I am weak? That you can just interrupt my rest whenever you please? Speak you confounded mortals!" Then, seeing the ring of keys hanging from Link's mouth, Majora's tone softened. "Ooh, excuse me. Are you here to free me? I apologize for my behavior. I'm rather tense right now. You would be too if you'd been trapped in this confounded cell unjustly for six months. That wench Nylania sealed me inside this cell with her magic when my back was turned. What kind of person does that, you ask? An evil witch, that's who! Ooh, excuse me again. I am rambling. You are here to free me, right? Why else would you have those keys? Do you realize that those keys are not just ordinary keys? Not only do they unlock the cell, but they break the magic that is binding me and preventing me from using my powers."

Seeing that Link and Navi were not talking, Majora continued to speaking. "How rude of me not to even introduce myself. I am Midna, a poor little imp that got trapped in this Twilight while trying to sell some goods at the local marketplace." When the Hero of Time and his fairy still did not talk, the imp began to raise its voice. "Why won't you speak?! Speak you fools! Do you realize who you are dealing with?!" Majora paused, apparently realizing that he was blowing his ruse. "I mean, I'm just a poor little imp. Won't you help me? I'm sorry I lost my temper. I'm sure you would do the same in my situation. Did I mention I've been trapped here wrongly for six months?!"

Staring into Link's eyes, comprehension dawned on Majora's hideous visage. "Ah, you can't speak, can you? Well, that makes sense then. So how will I know if you're here to free me? I suppose it's time to resort to a little mind-reading. I'm sure you won't mind," Majora muttered with a malevolent smirk. The imp's eyes began to focus on its guests.

After only a few seconds, Majora began to cackle gleefully. "You are here to free me! Very good! But I see you want something in return. Yes, I can read your thoughts. You want me to kill Nylania, the so-called Twilight Princess, don't you? I suppose I could do that in return for my freedom. I mean, I'm just a poor little imp and I would never kill, but I think I can make an exception here. After all, she is no more than an evil witch. An evil witch that trapped me here. An evil witch who's now destroying the world using my power! Stealing all my glory with my own abilities!… Um, ignore that last part. Sometimes I can't even figure out what I'm talking about. So yes, I will immediately slay Nylania in return for my freedom. Now release me," Majora whispered, licking his lips impatiently.

Having gotten the promise he wanted from Majora, and knowing that his quest for revenge on Nylania would outweigh his desire for world domination at least temporarily, Link slipped one of the keys into the keyhole. When it didn't fit, he kept at it until at last the gate opened with a click. There was a cold gust of wind as the spell that had kept Majora's powers at bay rushed out of the chamber. The imp cracked its fingers gleefully and whispered, "Thank you kind stranger. Nylania will be dead shortly. She is mine." With a puff of smoke, he was gone.

"I see now what you were trying to do," said Navi. "Very smart plan. If he manages to kill Nylania, that will dispel the Twilight. Now Link, can we go and check on the Master Sword? I want to see if it's been pulled from the Pedestal of Time." The Hero of Time sighed in a resigned fashion, nodded, and jumped into the still-open trapdoor that they had come through minutes before.

He splashed into the sludgy water below and sprinted through the sewers until they were back in the alleyway behind the town's marketplace. Link entered the marketplace with Navi again, only this time they were dripping with brown muck and smelled like Moblin's underarms after a long battle. They ran across the marketplace, up a nearby staircase to the front of the Temple of Time, and then entered the Temple.

Link was not surprised, and Navi was disappointed, to see that the Master Sword remained firmly in its pedestal. "So nobody has claimed it. Where is the next bearer of the Triforce of Courage?"

The Hero of Time turned around to give her a face that would have screamed of I told you so, but he was interrupted by a massive shaking of the entire structure. Chunks of marble broke off of the ceiling and walls and cascaded to the ground below. Link raced away from the danger by running toward the Master Sword with Navi on his shoulder. Just as the rumbling stopped, the wall behind the Master Sword exploded, spewing dirt and debris in all directions. Link shielded his eyes with one of his front paws. When the dust settled, he uncovered his eyes and looked in the direction of the now crumbled wall. In the wall's place stood Ganon, even more massive than Link had remembered from his battle with him in the ruins of his castle.

"I thought somebody might come to claim the Master Sword eventually," Ganon said, his voice rumbling so deeply that it gave the entire city tremors. "Who could it be?" He studied Link for a second before his eyes focused on Navi. "This Twilight is so effective at transforming its inhabitants, I wouldn't even have recognized you without your fairy. I never thought we'd meet again boy. I thought the so-called Hero of Time ran away after he knocked me into that time portal thirty years ago, knowing that when I came back, I would do so with a vengeance.

"As soon as I came back from your time portal, I went to the Lost Temple and found Nylania. I convinced her that she was born to control the world, just like me. We are siblings after all. It did take a long time to get her to agree, but I can be very convincing. We came back and I had her unleash the Twilight. And six months later, the Twilight is continuing to expand. I set Nylania upon the top of my castle's tallest tower, and from there she won't be stopped until the Twilight has encompassed the entire world and it has become mine!

"I see you're unable to speak. And I'm sure you can tell that I am speaking quite ably. There's the advantage to being the one in charge of the Twilight Princess. I wasn't going to be a boar like the last time she set off the Twilight. I made sure she made me into something far more powerful, and with the ability to speak. Speech is important after all. I'm sure you can attest to that, you mute mutt." Ganon began to guffaw so loudly that Link couldn't even stand and he heard a building collapse nearby. "Maybe I should put you out of your misery, eh? I suppose I can do you that one small favor."

Staring at Ganon, Link had a strong case of déjà vu. He was exactly as he remembered him. He stood twenty feet tall, had two massive horns on his head, wielded a long black tail as a weapon, and had a body so rock-hard and immense that it made the mechanical monster Goht seem like a piece of sponge cake. For battle, Ganon wielded his favorite weapons: two trident-shaped swords that could pierce through solid rock if need be. Link knew there was nothing he could do to hurt Ganon in their current forms. He was far too big and strong for a wolf to defeat. His only hope was to survive long enough for Majora to kill Nylania and dispel the Twilight. Link's thoughts were interrupted as Ganon swung one of his gigantic swords downward towards the Hero of Time's back.

Link sidestepped the attack, but was thrown to the side when the weapon hit the ground and created a crater in the marble floor. Sprawled on his side, Link had to jump up in a hurry to avoid Ganon's other sword cleaving him in two. Another crater was quickly formed and Link was thrown into the nearby wall by the force of it. Ganon swung his horned tail around and Link was barely able to dodge it as it struck the wall behind him showering him with fragments from the wall's destruction.

He pulled himself out of the pile of debris just in time to avoid a horizontal swing from the sword in his enemy's left hand. After dodging a couple more of the King of Evil's blows, Link found himself getting fatigued. Just when he was thinking there was no way he could survive any longer, he heard a woman scream from somewhere outside.

"No! How can it be?! How did you escape?!" she whimpered. Flashes of multi-colored lights were followed by a thunderous bang. There was a piercing shriek and moments later one of the windows set into the upper reaches of the walls of the Temple of Time shattered as a robed body fell through it. The body hit the ground, creating a crater ten feet across to accompany the ones formed by Ganon's attacks. Link had just enough time to identify the body as Nylania's before a blinding light shot out from her body, instantly filling the entire room and beyond.

The light gradually dimmed and when it had subsided, the amber glow of the Twilight was replaced by the vibrant light of the sun. As Link pulled himself up onto his own two feet, he looked across Nylania's lifeless corpse at his enemy. The King of Evil, Ganondorf, now stood where Ganon had once been, and he suddenly seemed vulnerable.


	39. Chapter 39

Chapter Thirty-Nine: Greetings and Salutations

The King of Evil stared down at his olive-colored palms in disbelief. "How could this happen?" he whispered to himself. "My plan was foolproof. How could anybody get to her at the top of the tower? And who could possibly have defeated her? She was supposed to be the most powerful sorceress of all time. The prophecy said so. Who could have done this?"

Link cleared his throat audibly, interrupting his enemy's train of thought. "What's the difference Ganondorf? Your reign is finished. Give up now while you still can. Lay down your weapons and surrender."

Ganondorf's eyes flashed red like the almost daily eruptions of Death Mountain. He began to laugh, starting with a quiet chuckle that quickly built up into a raucous guffaw. "You honestly believe that because I've been transformed back into my human form that you can stop me. I'm still infinitely more powerful than you. Do you not remember what's happened in the past when you tried to challenge me? One time, you would have been dead if not for being rescued by that fool of an owl, Kaepora Gaebora. What has changed? Nothing I tell you. You will die boy. I wield the Triforce of Power, and you wield nothing. The gods abandoned you, took the Triforce of Courage from you, and now you stand no chance. Go run and hide. Go back to your forest hovel. Again, I ask you, what has changed?!"

"Everything has changed." Link took a step forward, his face set grimly but determinedly. "All of this time you've been gone, I've been training with the greatest fighter this world has ever known, Orca the eleventh. I may not be able to wield the Master Sword, but I crafted my new blade out of Reflectiver, the most durable and powerful metal there is. It is the metal they used to craft the Mirror Shields millennia ago. One stroke from this is enough to power through any obstacle."

Ganondorf laughed again. "What makes you think that blade will ever even make contact with me. I won't even let you get that far. Now I'm done talking! It is time to finally put an end to you, you annoying pest!" He threw his hands forward, sending out a burst of energy that forced Link backwards. He hit the wall behind him with such a great force that not even its hard, marble surface could slow him down. He was forced through the wall, causing it to crumble and collapse before his eyes. He fell into the grass outside of the Temple of Time dazed and with a shooting pain running up his spine.

Using a nearby tree, he pulled himself to his feet and drew the sword that he had just been describing to his nemesis. It was out not a moment too soon. With another powerful surge of magic, the rubble left by Link's departure from the temple was tossed aside. There stood Ganondorf, his heavily shod feet depressing the grass, still damp from the morning dew. A ball of fire flew out from the King of Evil's right palm, but the Hero of Time was ready for it. He lifted his sword and the attack reflected off of it back towards its source. Ganondorf ducked quickly, allowing the spell to slip through the crack in the structure of the temple behind him.

As soon as the flame disappeared into the building, there was a violent tremor and a blue light shot out of the building, encompassing Ganondorf and Link. The light and earthquake both subsided simultaneously and Ganondorf laughed. "You weren't kidding. That sword is something else. I think I'll use it for myself once you're dead." His lip curled upward in a brutal smirk. He then charged forward, but Link was ready for him.

He grabbed a rock buried in the grass at his feet and threw it at the King of Evil. It was enough of a distraction to force Ganondorf to slow down his attack while he used a spell to obliterate the stone. That was all Link needed to rush forward, sword in hand, and bury his well-honed blade in the Gerudo's sternum. Ganondorf let out a gasp as he crumpled to the ground in a bloody heap, pulling the sword from Link's hand with his incredible weight.

"It's done Navi. It's really done. Look at him. The Reflectiver was strong enough to break through his protective spells and pierce his body. The King of Evil is no more!" So excited by his victory, Link could not help but jump up and down in glee. He hadn't felt so happy since the afternoons he used to share with Saria during his childhood, before Ganondorf, the Triforce, and death came into his life. Suddenly there was a crackling in the bushes to Link's right, twenty feet away from Ganondorf's mangled body. Wondering what it could possibly be, Link turned and walked in that direction. However, he could not even take two steps before he felt his feet pulled out from under him.

He fell to the wet grass below on his belly. He felt hot, stinky breath on the back of his neck. Two powerful hands grasped his shoulders and rolled him over onto his back. There, closer than he had ever been to him, was Ganondorf, the King of Evil, his eyes glittering malevolently. "You actually believed that this sword could stop me. I thought for sure you would know that only the Master Sword can stop me." In his hands was Link's blade, smeared in green blood. The Hero of Time looked at his foe's wound and was shocked to see it healing before his eyes. The hole in his chest sealed up so rapidly that it appeared as if an invisible suture was at work.

"Now let's see if you can survive the same blow you just gave me." Ganondorf raised the weapon above his head and thrust it down into Link's chest. The Hero of Time's flesh gave away like warm butter to a butter knife. He felt the sharpened tip pass all the way through his own back. He could even feel the ground beneath him give way a little bit as the sword was forced into the ground below his body. "Of course. I already knew the answer," laughed the King of Evil. "Only I, the bearer of the Triforce of Power, could survive such a blow. So ends the Hero of Time." He turned his head up to the sky and laughed so hard that his eyes closed.

Navi fluttered down onto Link's chest. "Why didn't you listen to me Link? I tried to tell you," she sobbed.

Link groaned in obvious pain. Trying to speak, he could barely mutter, "I'm s- sorry Navi. I should- should've listened to you." Fighting to keep his eyes open was not easy. He could tell that any second he might not be able to resist the urge to close them and then he would be dead. Just when this urge seemed at its strongest, Link saw something shimmer out of the corner of his eye like a particularly shiny piece of metal. A moment later, there was a flash of sunlight as something reflective passed into his field of view. By the time Link realized what it was, the deed had already been done. Ganondorf, with his eyes closed from his incessant laughter, realized what had happened even later than Link did.

What Link had seen that looked like a shiny piece of metal was exactly that. It was the Master Sword, wielded by an unknown hand. All thoughts of death immediately left Link's mind as he witnessed the mystical, all-powerful blade pierce straight through Ganondorf's temple. The King of Evil's eyes opened in shock, but they were not visible for long before a wall of stone shot up from his feet and encased him, the Master Sword still set firmly into his head. His attacker released the blade of evil's bane and looked down at Link.

What Link saw could have been his twin if not for the apparent ten years that separated them. He was a teenager dressed in a green tunic very similar to the Hero of Time's; in fact, it was actually a little nicer looking. "Sir, are you all right?" the stranger asked.

"I am now," replied Link. "May I see your hand?" The teenager showed his palm, but Link shook his head. "No. The other side," Link gasped. Ganondorf's vanquisher turned his hand around and their, as clear as if it had been tattooed onto the boy's skin, was the stamp of the Triforce of Courage. "So they were right. You came at last. I had doubted it, but I believe it now. And I am proud to say that even though I did not kill Ganondorf, I at least aided you in the process by dispelling the Twilight by using Majora."

"Who's Majora?"

"He's nobody, just a mask."

"Do you mean this? I found it in the grass by the castle." The boy pulled out a vibrantly colored mask from under his tunic.

"Yes. That is it. He is harmless again, now that the Twilight is gone. I had hoped that his blind hatred of Nylania would cause him to look over the fact that with her dead and the Twilight gone, he would lose his body and his power. It worked out perfectly."

The boy was obviously confused, but he managed to ask, "Who are you?"

"Me? I'm just like you. I've fought Ganondorf many times in the past up until now. But it was you that at last killed him. So it appears that the Hero of Time must give way to the Hero of Twilight." A harsh fit of coughing overcame Link, forcing blood out of his mouth and down his chin. "What is your name Hero of Twilight?"

"My name? My name is Link."

"Of course. It wouldn't have happened any other way," said the Hero of Time with a smile.

"I don't understand sir."

"Don't worry about it. Just live in peace knowing that you have vanquished the greatest evil Hyrule has ever known. And you must swear to me now that you will protect Hyrule from all evils for the rest of your days. It is your duty as the bearer of the Triforce of Courage to do so, until the gods choose someone else."

"Of course sir. I love Hyrule. I would do anything to protect it."

"You must swear."

"All right. I swear that as long as there is breath in me, I will protect Hyrule from any and all evils."

"Good. Now I can rest in peace, knowing that Hyrule is safe."

"Please Link, don't!" interrupted Navi. "Please don't go. Surely someone can help you."

"No, Navi. It is too late for me. You must let me go. Go, enjoy life. And watch over Saria for me. And don't worry. I have no regrets. I helped defeat Ganondorf once and for all, and that's all I ever wanted to do."

Navi broke down into shrill sobs and fluttered onto her friend's chest, right alongside of his wound.

"Please sir, may I know your name?" asked the younger Link, as he looked away from the fairy in front of him and into the eyes of the man dying before his eyes.

"It's not important." After staring at the new hero for a moment, he said, "You know, we're so much alike young Link, I don't even feel like I'm dying at all." With that, the Hero of Time closed his eyes and took his last breath, knowing that Hyrule would always be taken care of as long as there was Link.


End file.
